Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée de la Figurine Historique de Compiègne originated in two major legacies to the City: that of Arthur de Marsy in 1901, including polychrome wooden soldiers created by Jean-Baptiste Clémence in the late eighteenth century, and that of Alfred Ternisien in 1927, composed of thousands of figures representing historical armies. These collections, totaling nearly 30,000 pieces, were initially preserved at the Town Hall. An exhibition organized in 1948 by the Société des Collectionneurs de Figurines Historique encouraged the creation of a permanent museum, enriched by gifts from the passionates of the time.

In 1977, the municipality decided to transfer the museum to the former Hôtel de la Cloche, adjacent to the Town Hall, and entrusted its restructuring to Abbé Robert Ducoin. Inaugurated in 1984, it became the first French museum entirely dedicated to historical figures. Between 1986 and 1992, the City of Compiègne made major purchases to expand the collections, bringing the total to about 155,000 pieces, including 45,000 exhibited today.

The museum is distinguished by its miniature and realistic dioramas, offering a chronological journey of prehistory to the first steps of Man on the Moon. These playful stagings allow us to approach history in an accessible way, while highlighting unique pieces such as Clemence's wooden soldiers or the thematic collections from the founding legacy. The museum is labeled Musée de France and remains a reference point for lovers of military history and historical modeling.

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