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Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée de l'Impression sur Etoffes, located in Mulhouse (High Rhine), finds its origins in the industrial boom of the city in the 19th century. Founded in 1857 as the Museum of Industrial Design by the Industrial Society of Mulhouse (SIM), it was originally intended for textile professionals. The aim of this technical museum was to gather local and international samples to inspire Mulhousian designers and artisans, reflecting the region's innovative spirit.

In 1910, the museum moved to Rue de la Bourse and opened to the public through annual exhibitions. After the Second World War, a reorganization led in 1955 to the creation of the Museum of Impression sur Etoffes, installed in a neo-classical building built in 1883 by architect Frédéric-Louis de Rutté. The collections, enriched by industrial donations such as Frédéric Engel-Dollfus and acquisitions (Collections Becker, Puaux-Funffrock), cover tools, machines, fabrics and documents from the 18th to the 20th century.

The museum is distinguished by its three thematic levels: the ground floor dedicated to 18th-century Indian techniques, the first floor dedicated to 19th-century machinery (such as the Perrotine or Koechlin machine), and the second floor, partially equipped, dedicated to the 20th century. Its Document Use Service (SUD), founded in 1833, maintains more than six million textile archives, attracting researchers and industrialists from around the world.

Between 1994 and 1996, a complete restructuring modernised the spaces, followed by significant temporary exhibitions (Indian Fair, Cashmere Dream). However, in 2021 an investigation revealed the disappearance of elements of the collections, leading to the indictment of the former curator in 2023. Despite financial difficulties in 2022, local grants (€200 000) avoided its closure, stressing its heritage importance.

The museum now embodies a multiple heritage: decorative, technical, historical and ethnological art museum. Her collections, including treasures such as a doghol carpet or fabrics by Sonia Delaunay, illustrate the global influence of Alsatian textile printing, while preserving ancestral know-how through demonstrations (board printing, copper rolls).

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