Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The entomological museum originated in the private collection of Mr.Passet, an enlightened amateur from the Saint-Quentin region. In 1912, he left his set of butterflies and insects to the city, laying the foundation stone of a local scientific heritage. The collection, initially centered on specimens from the late 19th century, was enriched in 1942 by Mr.Verplancke's contribution, then in 1988 by that of Canon Pierre de Larminat, thus extending its geographical and taxonomic scope.

The vicissitudes of the two world wars forced the collections to successive moves, before their final installation in 1989 in the St James' Space, a neo-Gothic building erected on the ruins of the ancient church of the same name. This place, formerly chamber of commerce, symbolizes the reconstruction of Saint Quentin after the destruction of the First World War. Museography, entirely redesigned between 2017 and 2018, today highlights the museum's history and the diversity of insects, with an accessible educational approach.

The collections are distinguished by their period furniture, including showcases signed by Deyrolle, and their focus on Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, with a major representation of tropical species. These ensembles, complemented by successive gifts, offer a unique testimony to the scientific and aesthetic practices of the late 19th and 20th centuries. The museum, labeled Musée de France, is thus part of a dual approach of heritage preservation and naturalist extension.

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