Pournot-Bouvry abstract 2007
Conservation, the new museum exhibition monetaire de Marseille (France): Joelle Pournot-Bouvry, in charge of the Cabinet of Coins and Medals of Marseilles
In 2008, a new numismatic museum opens its doors to the public in France in Marseilles. The collections gathered patiently over two centuries are preserved and displayed in the Cabinet of Coins and Medals, Marseille innovating in the fields of conservation and exhibition.
It all started ten years ago when a draft resettlement collections in another place was mentioned. A scientific and cultural project was built where the fundamental questions have been asked:
- Why a numismatic museum?
- For whom?
- and how?
Three questions that call into question the existence of their collections and therefore increase the current policy enrichment; their conservation and exploitation.
With the agreement of the city of Marseilles, our parent body, and encouragement from the Directorate of Museums of France we tried to build the answers to our questions.
Why?
Our aim remains traditional. Each currency is a monument which requires a willingness, a designer, achievement, destination? In both witness and Reporter of our history, our stories, the currency is subject heritage, art object and real rebus which flatters our intellectual interest. Generations have established collections, son have been learned, our knowledge and understanding are always on… For whom?
This has long been the subject of researchers, scientists scholars gathered in the "Cabinets of curiosities." Today, we speak of a "heritage of all" and even "vehicle identity." There is no better compromise than the currency? At the time pretext and purpose, it lies at the bottom of our pockets and justifies our decisions and actions.
To the curious amateur, beautiful currencies are a spectator and actor alongside ordinary mortals only actor.
How?
Efforts were particularly focused on the conservation and exhibition.
The 40 000 objects from the collection were moved money in July 2005 to be resettled in a room provided for them entirely.
The security thought accurately combines the most sophisticated processes. The collections have been redistributed in new packaging that any product deemed corrosive has been eliminated (wood, organic materials). In particular, the immediate environment of coins and medals made of neutral plastic and plexiglass.
The relocation and resettlement of the collections was the result of a carefully prepared, which took place in accordance with the established program. A day after removal, easily accessible collections could be consulted.
The new debit numismatic collections demanded control of their behaviour in this new environment. The creation of a restoration workshop installed metal heart of the Cabinet of Coins and Medals is a scientific observatory of choice. The operation of the workshop provides an opportunity for all French public collections to be restored, protected with more efficient equipment. The workshop, according past two years, responds to a request permanent and contributes to spreading knowledge museum qu'archéologique both of these small objects which, for non numismatists, remained incomprehensible. The care given to the conservation of numismatic material focuses on the intentions of its use.
We wanted to be able to welcome and accommodate the numismatic objects out excavations to once restored, they can be preserved under the best conditions, inventoried and studied and then viewed by the public scientist. These deposits do not have the same status as the médaillier collections component of the city. They will be very specific agreements (conventions) with their owners.
The exhibition halls, permanent and temporary exhibit a selection of finest examples of monetary collections on the theme:
"The workshop Marseilles: 2400 years of coin to share with shops Provence - (sixth centuries BC - 1857 AD)."
The approach adopted by the museum is intended to inform all types of audiences in a valuable but practical, enjoyable and rich education.
In preparation for this opening, the cultural project focuses on the creation of educational workshops, the establishment of dissemination activities and hospitality to integrate the museum into the living space of our contemporaries.
"back to Vienna": http://www.icomon.org.uk/meetings/31/vienna-programme