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Key figures

Origin and history

The Honfleur Museum of Ethnography and Popular Arts, founded in 1896, is one of the first provincial ethnographic museums, alongside the Arlaten d'Arles Museum. He owes his existence to Léon Leclerc (1866–1930), founder and first curator, as well as to the Société du Vieux-Honfleur. For more than a century, these actors have gathered Norman furniture, costumes, capes, pred'Auge faiences and various objects, reflecting local arts and traditions. Nine rooms reconstruct typical interiors, such as a Mercier shop, a girl's room or an 18th-century weaver's workshop, offering an immersive journey into Norman daily life.

In 1976, the section dedicated to maritime history was transferred to the former St. Stephen's Church, becoming the Marine Museum. This component explores Honfleur's navigation, including whale and cod fishing, the slave trade, and shipbuilding, as well as maritime crafts. The whole, managed by the Société du Vieux-Honfleur until 2004, was then transferred to the city of Honfleur. The collections also enrich with elements related to local personalities, such as a memorial room, and technical objects, such as an 18th-century printing press.

The museum is part of a remarkable architectural setting: the building of ethnography occupies a private building of the 16th-17th centuries and the old vicomtal prison, while the Marine Museum is housed in the church of St. Stephen. These sites, classified or associated with historic monuments, reinforce the heritage dimension of the site. Labeled Musée de France, it covers a variety of fields, from ethnology to maritime history, fine arts and industrial techniques. Its address, quai Saint-Étienne, and its medieval well in the courtyard complete this painting of a heritage both material and immaterial.

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