At the dawn of the industrial revolution, which turned the world on its head, one man – François-Edmond Pâris – realised that many boats were going to disappear and, with them, a great deal of the maritime cultures that created them. He was proved right. His legacy – the result of a lifetime’s work – constitutes a unique treasure of naval ethnography.
All the boats of the world retraces the tireless quest of this sailor who, being both an artist and a genius, discovered and preserved the memory of a maritime heritage, which has now totally disappeared.
Conceived as a round-the-world journey, the exhibition allows us to discover a wide variety of peoples, seas and rivers, and to get to know both their boats and their cultures. A voyage over five continents, it permits all visitors, young or old, to learn about traditional know-how and navigation skills.
Combining several different fields of study, geography, history, ethnology, art, construction and navigation techniques, environmental issues, cultures and tradition, this exhibition is aimed at visitors of all ages.
It offers an extremely original view of the world of the maritime world.
Wednesday 10 March 2010 – Sunday 19 September 2010
Gifts from the Tsars
Naval diplomacy during the French-Russian alliance (1891-1914)
As part of the 2010 France-Russia Year’s events the National Museum of the Navy has organised an exhibition focusing on the sea context of the French-Russian Alliance. The Alliance was very popular, the diplomatic events were joyous occasions, and the Tsars’ gifts especially precious. This exhibition, spread over 200 m², features over 150 objects created during the period of the Alliance, paying testimony to the popular enthusiasm that existed. There are also outstanding gifts offered by Russia to France on display, such as goldsmith’s masterpieces and paintings. This unique collection illustrates an aspect of the Russian creativity of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
