Acquisitions by the Musée de l'Armée
Discover the different ways in which the Musée de l'Armée acquires its collections. Behind the scenes of the collections!
Enriching the collections is the very essence of a museum, but beware, the acquisition of a new object must be justified: it must be of historical, artistic, archaeological, ethnological, scientific or technical interest (so no, the photo of your faithful Puppy companion will not be accepted, however cute he may be...)
The purchase
The Musée de l'Armée purchases works and objects at auctions or from private individuals. In 2019, the share of purchases made by the Musée de l'Armée represented 18% of the acquisitions made during the year.
Like this helmet bought from a private collector in 2020. Inspired by Darth Vader's helmet, it equipped the Fedayeen Saddam, an Iraqi paramilitary organisation very close to Saddam Hussein.
The assignment
The objects concerned belong to the public domain and are assigned by presidential or ministerial decision. The type of object varies: it may be war souvenirs or diplomatic exchanges assigned to the Musée de l'Armée.
Here, this command parasol is a war capture made on the troops of the rebel El-Hiba in 1912, in Morocco. The parasol is a symbol of power in many Eastern civilizations.
Fusil Mauser modèle Gew 98 grande capacité (1906) by Mauser (manufacturer)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
The cession
The cession refers to a transfer of ownership from a public body or ministry to the Museum's collections. This process mainly concerns materials, uniforms, weapons, and equipment that have lost their original use: the aim is to affirm the Museum's role as a technical conservatory of armaments.
This German army Mauser rifle, equipped with a rare high-capacity magazine, entered the Museum's collection thanks to a transfer from the Amiens District Court in 2018.
Collection
There are several forms of collection: firstly, appeals for donations or legacies to individuals on specific themes. Secondly, there are collections in the field to collect specific objects.
Here, a panel resulting from a collection carried out by the Musée de l'Armée in 1997 in the former Yugoslavia in order to include in the collection evidence of the French commitment to peace in Bosnia.
Dans la vallée d'Ouzbîn. Traversée d'un champ de pavot dans le village de Dwakoleh (2009) by Eric Bouvet (photographer)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
The command
The museum can enrich its collections by commissioning artists. This process benefits both parties: bringing a work on a specific subject into the collections and supporting contemporary artistic creation.
Dans la vallée d'Ouzbîn. Panorama (2009) by Eric Bouvet (photographer)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
This is the case of the order placed in 2009 with the photographer Éric Bouvet, who was commissioned to follow the 1st infantry regiment in Afghanistan and thus show the daily life of the soldiers engaged in this war.
The dation
The dation is an exceptional method of payment, making it possible to settle a debt or inheritance costs by handing over a piece or pieces of high artistic or historical value.
Thanks to a dation, the Museum was able to acquire exceptional pieces, such as the decorations attributed to Marshal Foch, one of the great architects of the Allied victory in the First World War - here the Order of Charles III of Spain.
Chevaliers et guerriers, Moyen Âge et Renaissance (Ca. 1980)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
The donation
The owner-donor makes his or her property available to the institution, without reciprocity or financial compensation.
Donations are the main means of enrichment, with 70% of acquisitions made in 2019.
Soldats XIXe siècle (Ca. 1980)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
In 2014, the Musée de l'Armée received this collection of 700 beautifully crafted lead figurines as a donation. Rarely seen, this collection includes soldiers from the ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary periods.
Fourchettes trouvées dans l'un des réfectoires des Invalides (between 1674 and 1896)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
Retrospective entry
As the Musée de l'Armée is located on a historic site, it happens that objects linked to the history of the site are (re)discovered during the course of work. Their age, rarity, absence from the museum's collections or value for the history of the site give them a significant heritage importance.
This is the case of these forks, discovered in 2008 during restoration work on one of the refectories of the Hôtel National des Invalides where, more than 150 years ago, invalid soldiers used to eat.
The legacy
A bequest is a gift by will. The legator indicates in his will the wish to pass on his property to a museum. The handing over of the property takes place at the death of the owner and is often a surprise for the chosen institution…
As in the case of this suitcase containing the personal effects of soldier Roger Rabioulle, who was taken prisoner and died in captivity in 1948 in Tonkin, during the Indochina War (1945-1954).
A story written and edited by the teams of the Musée de l'Armée.
© Musée de l’Armée
This story was produced as part of the temporary exhibition Toute une histoire ! from 14 May to 18 September 2022): https://www.musee-armee.fr/au-programme/expositions.html
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.