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Key figures

Origin and history

The Barthélemy Thimonnier museum, located in Amplepuis in the Rhone, owes its name to the inventor of the first French sewing machine (1830), although the monument itself does not explicitly mention this period. It occupies the premises of a former hospital and its chapel, offering a historical setting to its collections. The museum is now recognized as the first public space in France entirely dedicated to sewing machines, complemented by a collection of cycles from a private donation.

The creation of the collections began in 1965 thanks to the Groupe de Recherches Archéologies et Historiques d'Amplépuis, which brings together sewing machines reflecting the technological evolution of this artisanal and industrial tool. In 1987, Henri and Renée Malartre enriched the museum with their collection of cycles, creating a thematic link between these two major 19th-century inventions. These objects illustrate both local history, craftsmanship, and the mechanical advances that marked the region.

Ranked among the Musées de France, the site is distinguished by its ethnological and technical approach, highlighting lost or transformed occupations. The accuracy of its location remains poor (note 5/10), but its official address, Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, makes it a central place in the commune. The heritage interest of the building itself also lies in its past hospital architecture, today reinvested to enhance an industrial heritage that is often unknown.

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