Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Thirty Years Museum, also known as M-A30, was created in 1939 in Boulogne-Billancourt under the leadership of Dr Albert Besançon, the first curator. Originally located in the town hall, it aimed to gather disparate collections related to the cultural and industrial heritage of the municipality. His objective was to commemorate the 1925 decree which renamed Boulogne in Boulogne-Billancourt, highlighting modernity and the links between arts and industry.

In 1983, Emmanuel Bréon succeeded Dr. Besançon and focused the museum on the 1930s, a flourishing period for Boulogne-Billancourt in industrial and cultural terms. The city attracted many artists, architects and filmmakers through affordable workshops and fields. The museum was renamed "Musée des Années 30" in 1994 and moved into the Paul-Landowski space in 1998, where it presented various works, including an Orientalist collection initiated by the Colonial Exhibition (1989-1990).

The museum now has 3,000 m2 of exhibition with 800 paintings, 1,500 sculptures, 20,000 drawings, as well as furniture, ceramics and original posters. It is part of an outdoor walking tour highlighting iconic architectural achievements, such as those of Le Corbusier or Mallet-Stevens. His collections reflect the artistic and industrial life of the 1930s, including works by the Paris school, documents on the Sundays of Boulogne (around Juan Gris, Picasso, Max Jacob) and pieces related to colonial art.

The museum is labeled Musée de France and is located at 26 avenue André Morizet in Hauts-de-Seine. It also maintains archives on the local industries (automotive, aviation), film studios and sports stadiums, illustrating the cultural and economic diversity of Boulogne-Billancourt during the interwar period.

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