Taking back the village of Rancourt was important, not just for the pursuit of the offensive’s general direction toward the east, but also in that it cut off the important German lines of communication along the Bapaume-Péronne road. This was the mission entrusted to the 32^nd French Army Corps on 25 September 1916. Today, Rancourt has the sad distinction of having 3 cemeteries on its territory: French, British and German. It is also an important site –one of the only ones – preserving the memory of France’s participation in the Battle of the Somme.

Le Souvenir Français Chapel and the French national necropolis

This chapel in ashlar stone was not the result of an official decision, but rather of a private initiative: the du Bos family, natives of the region, wanted to erect a monument to the memory of their son and his comrades in arms killed on 25 September 1916. In 1937, Le Souvenir Français took over management of the building and the memorial. Rancourt Cemetery is the largest French necropolis in the Somme region (8,566 soldiers – 28,000 m²). It attests to the violence of the battles during the last 3 months of the offensive (September – November 1916).

Le Souvenir Français Chapel

2, Route Nationale 80360 RANCOURT

Tel.: +33 (0)3 22 85 04 47

The Somme Tourism Committee

21 rue Ernest-Cauvin 80000 Amiens

Tel.: +33 (0) 322 71 22 71

Fax: +33 (0) 322 71 22 69

e-mail: accueil@somme-tourisme.com

The Somme Tourism Committee will be happy to provide you with any information concerning the Somme Battlefields and the Circuit du Souvenir: commemorations, access, transportation, guided tours for groups and individuals, helicopter tours, accommodation, etc. The Tourism Committee also publishes a range of brochures on Memorial Tourism.

Le Souvenir Français Committee of the Canton of Dun sur Meuse

The Somme 1914-1918

The Somme Tourism Committee

The Somme 1916 Museum is located in an old gallery dug in the chalky ground by the Albertines in the 9th century.

These hiding places, or "muches", were designed to escape Norman, and later Spanish, invaders. A few centuries later, Lahyre, one of Joan of Arc’s fellow soldiers, was imprisoned at Albert, called Encre at the time.

During World War I, the town of Albert housed a British garrison. It was the starting point of the offensive against the German lines. One of the most fearsome battles of the war took place in the Somme in 1916, with 58,000 men out of action in one day, on 1 July 1916. The medieval galleries were reoccupied. In 1918, during the last attack to take back the town from the Germans, the British army systematically bombarded the sector, wiping out the town.


In 1939, the municipality of Albert decided to rehabilitate the underground gallery to shelter the civilian population and avoid a massive exodus: seven air raid shelters were built.

At the end of 1991, the “Somme 1916” Shelter Museum project was born. Work on repairing and securing 250 metres of underground galleries took months. The museum opened its doors on 1 July 1992.

The “Somme 1916” Museum presents the life of the soldiers in the trenches during the 1 July 1916 offensive. Some fifteen alcoves and showcases have been set up in a 230-metre underground gallery used as an air raid shelter during World War II. Sound, light and pictures give the visitor a view of these soldiers’ everyday life. There is a shop.


“Somme 1916” Museum

Rue Anicet Godin - 80300 Albert

Tel: 03.22.75.16.17

Fax: 03.22.75.56.33

e-mail : musee@somme1916.org

Somme Tourism Committee

21 rue Ernest-Cauvin - 80000 Amiens

Tél. : +33 (0) 322 71 22 71

FAX : +33 (0) 322 71 22 69

e-mail : accueil@somme-tourisme.com

The Somme Tourism Committee will be happy to provide you with any information you may desire on the Somme Battlefields and the “Circuit du Souvenir” (Remembrance Trail): commemorations, access, transportation, guided tours for groups and individuals, helicopter flyovers, accommodation, etc... The Tourism Committee also publishes a range of brochures on Remembrance Tourism.

Somme Tourism Committee

The Somme 14-18

Somme 1916 Museum

Seizing Delville Wood (also known as Devil Wood) - a battlefield, memorial, museum and cemetery - was a sine-qua-non for troops to move eastward. That was what the South African troops were asked to do. They met their baptism of fire on that western front from 15 to 20 July 1916. The nightmare began when they were cut off from the rearguard and came under fierce artillery fire - as many as 400 shots a minute - with only makeshift shelters for cover. When the time came to relieve them, only 143 of the brigade's 3,200 men emerged from the trenches unscathed. Longueval is also home to New Zealand's memorial. It was on 15 September 1916 that New Zealand's tank-backed division set out from its bases (between Longueval and Fourcaux Wood - or High Wood) towards its objective, Flers, which it reached later that same day. The 47th London division captured High Wood on 15 September.

The South African National Memorial (Mémorial national sud-africain) Delville Wood, where the South African Infantry Brigade fought in July 1916, spans 63 hectares. The South African Government bought it in 1920 to build its National Memorial. The monument was inaugurated in 1926. It stands at the end of an avenue lined by oak trees grown from South African acorns. The memorial, which consists of a cenotaph (empty tomb) and a triumphal arch, was designed by Herbert Baker. The two typically colonial houses, in Baker's words, symbolise South Africa's two white races, and the semi-circular wall represents the bulwark of civilisation. Alfred Turner sculpted the bronze piece surmounting the arch, depicting Kastor and Polydeuces (the Dioscuri in Greek mythology) holding a spirited horse. Kastor and Polydeuces were the sons of Leda and Zeus. The first was mortal, the second immortal. Their relationship was such, however, that, when Kastor died, Polydeuces persuaded Zeus to unite them in eternity. The underlying message is that two completely different people can share the same destiny. This, the sculptor says, mirrors the camaraderie between South Africa's English and Dutch brothers in arms. British and Boer South Africans had been at war with each other only a few years before, but lay down their lives for the British Commonwealth fighting against a common enemy. This monument was inaugurated on 10 October 1926 by the widow of Louis Botha, the president who unified the country after the 1899-1902 Boer War between Dutch and British settlers in South Africa.
The South African National Museum (Musée national sud-africain)
The Museum was built behind the monument and around the Cross of Consecration, and inaugurated in 1986. It is a replica of Cape Fort and commemorates South Africa's contribution to WWI (on Europe's western front and in Germany's African colonies), WWII, the Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) and the Korean War (1950-1953). Useful Information: The South African National Memorial and Museum (Musée et Mémorial national sud-africain) 5, route de Ginchy 80360 Longueval, France Phone +33 (0) 322 850 217 Fax +33 (0) 322 857 999 Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 3.45 pm from 1 February to 10 November, and from 10.00 am to 5.45 pm from 1 April to 14 October. Somme Tourist Board (Comité du Tourisme de la Somme) 21 rue Ernest-Cauvin 80000 Amiens, France Phone +33 (0) 322 712 271 Fax +33 (0) 322 712 269 e-mail: accueil@somme-tourisme.com The Somme Tourist Board will be happy to provide any information you might require about the Somme battlefields and Circuit du Souvenir (remembrance events, directions, transport, private and group tours, helicopter flights, accommodation, etc.). CDT also publishes a series of Memorial Tourism brochures.

Thiepval hill, village and (now disappeared) chateau - along with Hamel - were one of the German defence lines' strongholds north of the British flank in 1916. This natural bastion was protected by the Ancre marshlands below and by numerous deep tunnels underground. The Leipzig Salient - as this mainstay was called - saw the British Forces endure catastrophic losses on 1 July that year: Britain lost 58,000 troops (20,000 of whom died) in what became the biggest tragedy in Great Britain's history - and an event that will always be associated with Thiepval. Fighting for control over Thiepval began on 1 July and ended on 26 September 1916.

The 36th Ulster division controlled the area from the skirts of Thiepval Forest to the village of Hamel. And it was the only division that fulfilled its objectives that 1 July. But those ill-fated soldiers got caught between the advancing British artillery and enemy machine-gun fire when German gun crews emerged from the underground passageways in Souabes redoubt. That division lost more than 5,500 men in a few hours and had to be evacuated the following morning.
Thiepval Visitor Centre opened on 1 July 2004, by the Great War's most emblematic and busiest memorial. The Somme General Council and the Thiepval Project group (which ran a fundraising drive across Great Britain) worked together on this project, which likewise secured European Union funding. This centre counts a number of amenities (an information desk, shop, projection room, vending machines and toilets) and an exhibition area casting light on the Battles of the Somme and on the events that befell Thiepval throughout WWI. There are also displays presenting the CWGC (1), Lutyens, reconstruction work, and the debt of remembrance. Open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm 1 May through 30 November and from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 1 December through 30 April. Closed mid-December through mid-January.
This troubadour-gothic style tower was erected in 1921 following a public fundraising drive. It is the exact replica of the tower on the 36th Ulster Division's training grounds outside Belfast. (The 36th Ulster Division was trapped in German and British crossfire on 1 July 1916). It is Ireland's monument commemorating the Battle of the Somme and a memorial to all the Ulster soldiers killed during the Great War. Visitor facilities on site. In the park, you will find a plaque that the Royal Irish Rangers laid to the memory of the 36th Ulster Division soldiers and to the nine Victoria Crosses. At the back of the park, you will also find a gate leading though to a smaller memorial to the Irish of the Orange Institution, inaugurated in 1994.
Overview You will find a visitor information centre, an audiovisual library, a shop and a cafeteria at Ulster Tower. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10.00 am to 5:00 pm (and 10.00 am to 6.00 pm from 1 May through 30 September).
The British Government decided to erect this Memorial in 1932. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, an architect, in 1923. Its sheer monumental magnitude is the first thing that hits the eye. The great arch towers 45 metres above ground and stands on 16 pillars. It stands to the memory of the 73,367 British who died between July 1915 and March 1918 and have no known grave. Their names are engraved on white Portland stone under laurel wreaths listing the Battles of the Somme. This monument reminds visitors that the French and British armies fought side by side. At the foot of the memorial, facing the valley, you will find the Franco-British cemetery. There, 300 unknown British soldiers and 300 unknown French soldiers are buried as a sign that both countries sustained comparable losses. This cemetery was inaugurated on 31 July 1932 by the Prince of Wales in the presence of then French President Albert Lebrun.
Thiepval Memorial (Mémorial franco-britannique) 80300 Thiepval Phone +33 (0) 322 746 047 Fax +33 (0) 322 746 544 Ulster Tower (La Tour d'Ulster) 80300 Thiepval Phone +33 (0) 322 748 111 Fax +33 (0) 322 748 068 e-mail : sommeassociation@btconnect.com e-mail : teddy.colligan@orange.fr Somme Tourist Board (Comité du Tourisme de la Somme) 21 rue Ernest-Cauvin 80000 Amiens Phone +33 (0) 322 712 271 Fax +33 (0) 322 712 269 e-mail: accueil@somme-tourisme.com The Somme Tourist Board will be happy to provide any information you might require about the Somme battlefields and Circuit du Souvenir (remembrance events, directions, transport, private and group tours, helicopter flights, accommodation, etc.). CDT also publishes a series of Memorial Tourism brochures.
Note: (1) The CWGC is responsible for the upkeep of graves of Commonwealth soldiers in the world.

The city of Castres has dedicated a museum to Jean Jaurès, a native son born in 1859, a champion of socialism and an exceptional orator, a committed pacifist assassinated by Raoul Villain on 31 July 1914 on the eve of World War I.

The Jean Jaurès National Centre and Museum is located in the centre of the city of Castres. This establishment is designed to present Jean Jaurès’ activities and work, while ensuring research work and coordinating events based on the fundamental subjects and ideas of the 19th and 20th centuries.


History

Opened in February 1988 and inaugurated on 16 November of that year by François Mitterand, President of the French Republic, it was founded thanks to the City of Castres, which wanted to showcase the wealth of the Jaurès collections at the museum founded in 1954 to increase understanding of this great thinker, orator, journalist, writer and politician. The effective cooperation of the Société d'Etudes Jaurésiennes, chaired by Mrs Madeleine Rébéroiux, and the precious help of many specialists and historians have made it possible to create a coherent, thorough and modern cultural unit.

 

The collections

The ground floor holds the temporary exhibitions (free admission) on various subjects dealing with the period between 1880 and 1914 (economics, society, everyday life, culture), showcasing regional artists or presenting current issues. There is a rest area, a bar and a counter where visitors can buy postcards, posters and publications about Jean Jaurès.

The first floor houses the museum (paid admission) which gives a chronological and thematic presentation of the great orator’s life:
37 panels, 6 windows and two video terminals showcase various objects and documents. Busts, statuettes, international works on Jean Jaurès, paintings, moulds and workers’ tools are also exhibited.

The second floor has a conference room equipped with audiovisual equipment for projecting films and slides and for organising conferences, debates and seminars (seating capacity: 50 people).

The third floor is dedicated to preservation, consultation, research and documentation: books, reviews, newspapers and archives, which are made available to everyone who wants to use them, notably students, journalists and researchers. The Museum’s library, these works can be consulted on site and are not on loan. Firstly, there is everything written by and about Jean Jaurès and all the texts published when he was alive, but also manuscripts, photographs, a rich iconographic collection and many newspapers and magazines such as “La Dépêche” from 1887 to 1914, “La Petite République” from 1893 to 1903, “La Revue de l'Enseignement Primaire” from 1904 to 1914, etc.

The documentation and research centre has many interesting and rare booklets as well as major collections such as “Le Mouvement Socialiste” (1899-1914), Compère-Morel’s “Encyclopédie Socialiste” (1912-1921), stenographic reports of all the Socialist conferences from 1900 to 1920, essential documents published by the Second International, etc.

Jean Jaurès National Centre and Museum

2 place Pélisson - 81100 CASTRES

Tél. 05 63 62 41 83 - Fax : 05 63 50 39 02

e-mail : jaures@ville-castres.fr

Museum Visitors’ Service

Hôtel de Ville - B.P. 406

81108 CASTRES Cedex

Tél. : 05.63.71.59.28

Fax : 05.63.71.59.26

E-mail : jb.alba@ville-castres.fr

City of Castres

Friends of the museum of Castres

Some of them managed to cross the border into Spain and Andorra; the others were taken and transferred to Camp du Vernet on the night of 26 August 1942. During the first roundup, around 200 people were arrested and interned before being transported to Auschwitz.

A second roundup took place between 9 and 11 January 1943: 266 Jews were arrested. On the bend in La croix du Ruisseau, a stele pays tribute to the 640 men, women and children sent to live in Aulus-les-Bains in 1942 and those arrested during the two roundups.

Quelques lieux remarquables

• La maison du docteur Faure, médecin thermal, père d'Edgar Faure (1908-1988), écrivain et homme politique
• Le monument aux morts. On y lit beaucoup de noms identiques avec à côté leur sobriquet correspondant le plus souvent au nom de la maison où ils vivaient 
• L'Office du Tourisme. Sur l'ancien emplacement de l'hôtel du Midi construit en 1866, le Grand hôtel, qui a fonctionné jusqu'en 1939, puis a été réquisitionné pendant la guerre. Après la Libération, en raison de son état de délabrement, il n'est plus utilisé que comme salle de café et de réunions, avant d'être démoli dans les années quatre-vingt-dix
• L'Hôtel Majestic. Lorsque, le 11 novembre 1942, l'armée allemande a envahi la zone Sud, elle a établi son cantonnement à l'Hôtel Majestic.

01 - Les Neufs Fonts

02 - Carrière des Frouns

03 - Oratoire St Vincent

04 - Salle d'animation du Camping ancienne scierie

05 - Emplacement de l'ancien Casino

06 - Colonie de la Ville de Toulouse anciens Hôtels du Parc

07 - Ancienne usine à Gaz

08 - Maison du Dr Faure

09 - Les Bemèdes ancienne maison Crouzat

10 - Hôtel de France

11 - Hôtel Georges

12 - Grand Hôtel

13 - Allée des Bains

14 - Parc Thermal

16 - Hôtel Beauséjour

17 - Hôtel Majestic

18 - Villa les Bains ancien Hôtel des Bains

19 - Hôtel La Terrasse

20 - Monument aux Morts

21 - Hôtel Les Oussaillès ancienne Maison Charrue

22 - Gîte d'Etape ancien Presbytère

23 - Eglise d'Aulus

25 - Oratoire St Bernard de Menton

26 - La Croix du Ruisseau

27 - Le Moulin

28 - Office de Tourisme emplacement Hôtel du Midi

29 - Aulus La Trappe

Mairie d'Aulus-les-Bains

Place de la Mairie 09410 Aulus-les-Bains

Tél. : 05 61 96 00 87

Bureau d'Aulus-les-Bains

09410 Aulus-les-Bains

Tél. : 05 61 96 00 01

Antenne de l'Office de tourisme de Haut-Couserans

09140 Aulus-les-Bains

tél. 05.61.96.02.22

fax : 05.61.96.01.79

e-mail : aulus-les-bains@worldonline.fr

Close to Ohama Beach, the Ohama Beach Memorial Museum preserves the memory of the day that marked a turning point in the Second World War: D-Day.

Agreed during the Tehran Conference in 1943, the opening of a second front in the west, in addition to the offensive of the Red Army, took shape with the Allied landing in the Normandy beaches between La Madelaine (Manche) and Ouistreham (Calvados).

The assault took place on Tuesday 6 June 1944, at dawn, on five beaches codenamed Utah Beach and Ohama Beach (where the Americans were to land), and Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach (where the English and Canadians were to land).

Following a shelling along the Atlantic Wall, the allied troops landed at around 8 o’clock in the morning. All the beaches were taken in the morning, with the exception of Ohama Beach, taken in the afternoon at the expense of 2,500 lives out of 3,000 men assigned to the operation.

The museum is located 200 metres from Ohama Beach, the site of the most brutal D-Day battles in the landing sector of the US troops, close to St Laurent/Colleville American cemetery. Covering 1,200 m2, the museum presents a collection of military vehicles, arms, uniforms and badges used by the American and German soldiers during the Second World War. It retraces the events and economic life under the German occupation.

A life-size display featuring models in combat situations recounts the landing on Ohama Beach.

Outside, the American army donated a 155-mm "Long Tom" cannon, the only one of its kind in Normandy. An American Sherman tank is also on display in the parking area. Themed displays show a collection of documents relating to the resistance and the deportation.

Musée Mémorial d'Omaha Beach "Les Moulins"

Avenue de la Libération - 14710 Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer

Tél. : (33) 02 31 21 97 44 – Fax : (33) 02 31 92 72 80

Email : contact@musee-memorial-omaha.com

Musée Mémorial d'Omaha Beach

Normandie Mémoire

This heavily-fortified rectangular Citadel is a flagship example of military architecture, and has an extraordinary view of the harbour. The Port-Louis Citadel is now home to the National Maritime Museum, where you will find an excellent collection of model ships, weapons and other historic models. You can also visit the museum dedicated to the history of the Indies Company. In the Arsenal Room, there are displays of superb vintage models, as well as paintings and sculptures depicting French naval history from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. The Powder Keg Room houses a large collection of weapons.

The construction of the Citadel began under the orders of the Spanish engineer Cristobal de Rojas in 1590 at the time of the war of the Catholic Holy League. The Citadel, which was completed during the reign of the French king Louis XIII, is strategically positioned on the southeastern point of the peninsula of Lorient harbour. Apart from serving a defensive role, the Citadel was also inhabited and used for receptions, as well as serving as a refuge or prison (it was a shelter for refractory priests during the French Revolution, refractory conscripts under the Empire, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in 1836, Communards, members of the Resistance and many others).
June 2002 saw the inauguration of various new exhibition rooms dedicated to underwater archaeology, the discovery of new artefacts, and the restoration of these artefacts. The archaeologist Franck Goddio donated over 160 artefacts to the National Maritime Museum, all related to the period of West-East trade between the eleventh and the seventeenth centuries and found in the wrecks of three junks, a galleon and a naval vessel. These artefacts are on display at Port-Louis, along with the remains of the cargo of the Mauritius, a Dutch ship that sank in 1609 (discovered during excavation by the Department of Underwater and Undersea Archaeological Research in 1986) offered by Elf-Gabon and the Gabonese government to the National Maritime Museum. The new 'Ocean Treasures' exhibition was created by the National Maritime Museum in association with the Regional Council of Brittany, the Morbihan Departmental Committee for Tourism and the Pays de Lorient Urban Community.
Tourist Information: 47, grande Rue, 56290 Port-Louis. Telephone: (+33) 2 97 82 52 93 Museum: Telephone: (+33) 2 97 12 10 37/Fax: (+33) 2 97 82 17 28 Closed: the 1st of December - the 1st of January (inclusive). Museum open from the 1st of April to the 30th of September, from 10h-18.30h (except on Tuesdays in April and May, and the 1st of May). From the 1st of October to the 31st of March: From 13.30h-18h (except on Tuesdays).

Housed in a former school since 1890, the current town museum of Châteaudun was set up in 1864 by the local archaeological society, to conserve local archaeological finds. Over time, the collections have been added to by Egyptian and African objects and, in particular, pieces connected to local history during the Franco-Prussian War.

History of the museum and collections The Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Histoire Naturelle de Châteaudun was founded in 1864 by the Société Dunoise d’Archéologie, with the goal of preserving local heritage. From the beginning, the archaeological society received many donations from scholars, collectors and scientists.

Among them was the archaeologist Émile Amélineau (1850-1915), who discovered the royal tombs of Abydos in Upper Egypt (1st and 2nd Thinite dynasties). Archaeology and Egyptology
therefore form the cornerstones of today’s collections.

During the course of the 20th century, the museum of the Société Dunoise grew, as paintings, art objects and birds were added to its collections. Meanwhile, the town of Châteaudun received donations and bequests, as well as public loans: the Campana collection, 19th-century paintings, etc. The original museum, housed in the town hall, was transferred for a time to the Chateau of Châteaudun. Then, on 19 August 1890, the town council and the Société Dunoise signed an agreement for the museum to be installed in a former school. In 1897, the size of Marquis Léonce de Tarragon’s bequest to the town meant that an extension to the building was required, with a gallery containing 3 000 specimens of birds and mammals, which are still the making of the museum’s natural history collection today.

In 1952, the Société Dunoise d’Archéologie entrusted the collections to the municipality, while maintaining ownership. The museum therefore came under municipal control. Since then, many new acquisitions have added to the collections, not least the Wahl-Offroy donation in 1971, of art objects from the Near and Far East: ceramics, miniatures, weapons, etc. With a room devoted to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and a reproduction of a Beauce interior from the early 20th century, Châteaudun’s town museum presents a diverse selection of objects that show the tastes of collectors and donors past and present.

The Franco-Prussian War room Overlooking Rue Louis Baudet, the museum’s second room commemorates Châteaudun’s resistance when it was besieged by the Prussians in 1870. On 18 October that year, the town was attacked by a 12 000-strong German infantry division. A group of 1500 francs-tireurs from Paris, national guards and firemen put up a brave defence. At their head was the Count of Lipowski, a graduate of Saint-Cyr military academy, decorated with the Légion d’Honneur. After the siege, General Von Wittich’s victorious troops set fire to the town, and its motto became Extincta revivisco, meaning “I am born again from my ashes”.

Paintings, engravings, objects, weapons and headdresses present this dark chapter of local and national history. Moullin’s oils and gouaches and Montarlot’s engravings depicting the barricades complement the series of photographs showing the destruction. The display pays tribute to the key figures of Laurentine Proust, Captain Ledeuil and General Lipowski. In the display cases, military paraphernalia is presented alongside mementos gathered from the rubble of the houses. Finally, at the back of the room is the bell from the town hall belltower, dated 1588, damaged by shellfire.
 

Musée Municipal des Beaux-Arts et d’Histoire Naturelle

3, rue Toufaire - 28200 Châteaudun - Tel.: +33 (0)2 37 45 55 36 Fax: +33 (0)2 37 45 54 46 (town hall – specify “Service Musée”)

Email: musee@mairie-chateaudun.fr

Opening hours:

Open daily (except Tuesdays, 25 December, 1 January and 1 May), 10 am to 12.30 pm
/ 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm, from 1 April to 30 September, and 10 am to 12 noon / 2 pm to 5 pm, from 1 October
to 31 March. Open Monday to Sunday, non-stop from 10 am to 6.30 pm, in July and August.

Group bookings for adults or children can be made on any
day except Tuesday.

Learning materials available on request.

Admission:

Adults: € 3.32 Under 18s: Free Guided tours (for groups of
more than 20 people only): € 2.99 School parties Châteaudun school: Free Others: € 1.29

Cycle of four themed conferences: € 43.85

Combo ticket: Museum and Chateau of Châteadun: € 7

Town of Châteaudun

The Post Office Museum is a place of both remembrance and conservation, a research and documentation centre, focussing on writing, the fine arts, history and society. History Opened in 1946, the Post Office Museum was situated in the 6th district of Paris, in the former Choiseul Praslin Hotel, which dates from the beginning of the 18th century. In 1973 this location had become too cramped and the museum moved into its current purpose-built building at 34 boulevard de Vaugirard, right in the heart of the Montparnasse area. Today the museum occupies 15 rooms and the general public starts its tour from the 5th floor, following a circuit that finishes on the ground floor. Setting the scene In fifteen rooms the Post Office Museum offers an introduction into the history of the Post Office, from its origins to the modern day, along with a taste of the world of philately. The circuit (the tour starts from the 5th floor), which links the chronology with important events, emphasises the social aspect of this business. But it is also a history of the French people that is told here, through the Post Office and philately. Old post boxes, postillion and postmen's uniforms, models of mail coaches, valuable postage stamps and artistic works: all the items in this exhibition form part of a collection that is extraordinary and rich in colour.

Collections The Post Office Museum looks after the stamp and postal collections belonging to the State and those of the Post Office. In a space of 1500 m² the historical, philatelic, scientific and artistic heritage is displayed, consisting of exhibits as diverse as postage stamps, the first road maps, postmen's uniforms, artists' mock-ups, archives and common objects and finally a large collection of mail and postal art.
The historical collections department is a valuable mine of information for historians and those interested in the history of Post Office administration. The Museum holds collections of postmen's almanacs, Post Office calendars, postcards, archives, touring guides, post office books and itineraries, stamps, common objects and contemporary works of art.
The Photographic Library The photographic library contains over 150,000 plates, from famous characters of the airmail service to Villemot's posters for savings accounts and the plates of all French postage stamps. Consultations and loans by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Tel.: 01.42.79.24.16 The Llibrary With over 25,000 volumes and more than 850 periodical titles, the Museum's library is host to researchers and those interested in information about stamp collecting or on the history of the Post Office. Works and periodicals can be consulted on the premises, with a charge for photocopies. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 am until 6 pm. Tel.: 01.42.79.24.03 The Philately Point In the Museum lobby there is a "Philately Point" where purchases can be made of stamps from France, Monaco, Andorra, Mayotte, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, newly released current stamps, pre-paid envelopes and the Post Office's philately products, such as First day covers. The philately point is open during Museum opening hours, from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. The Loans Department The loans department can respond to any requests about: Historical collections - tel.: 01.42.79.24.27 Philately collections - tel.: 01. 42.79.24.41 The Conference area The Museum has an auditorium for hire, seating 162 people. Tel.: 01 42 79 23 33 The Historical Collections Department This department looks after iconographic objects and documents that relate to the development of the organisation and the jobs within the Post Office, as well as traditions in writing and correspondence. The Museum also has extensive archives on the history of the Post Office and the telegraph. Consultation of items not on display is by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Tel.: 01.42.79.24.23
Post Office Museum of Paris 34 Bd de Vaugirard 75731 PARIS CEDEX 1e-mail: collections.historiques@laposte.net Access by underground: Montparnasse, Pasteur, Falguière Access by bus: lines 28, 48, 88, 89, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96 Opening times The Post Office Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am until 6 pm. It is closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays Admission charges Permanent Collections: Full price: 5 € Reduced rate: 3.50 € Free for: the under 18's, The Post Office Group, the Friends of the Post Office, holders of an ICOM card, group leaders and Inter-Museum pass holders. Temporary Exhibitions: Full price: 5/6 € Reduced rate: 3.50 € / 4.50 € Guided tours: (Additional charge for tours in English) Joint visit (museum and exhibition): Full price: 7 € / 8 € Reduced rate: 5.50 € / 6.50 € (for the unemployed, students and groups of more than 20 people) Free for postal workers