Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Epinal Image Museum, inaugurated in 2003, was born out of the desire of the Epinal City to enhance its rich imaginative heritage. The tradition of imaging at Epinal dates back to the 17th century with figures such as Claude Cardinet and Jean-Charles Didier, but it was in the 19th century that the Pellerin and Pinot imageries consolidated its reputation. The museum is based on historical holdings from the municipal archives, the library, the departmental museum of Ancient and Contemporary Art, and the Imaging of Epinal, a private company still active since the end of the eighteenth century.

The collection has grown considerably, thanks in particular to the acquisition in 2010 of the Henri George collection, with 85,000 images, thus sorting out the museum's resources. Today, it brings together more than 110 000 images, covering various themes: religious art, European and extra-European civilizations, military collections, and ethnology. These images come from French imaginative centres (Épinal, Nantes, Orléans) and foreign (Mexico, Japan, India), illustrating the diversity and sustainability of this popular media.

The building, designed by the office of Remarks, is distinguished by a 150 m2 glass facade decorated with a colourful film depicting a scene of an image of Epinal, composed of 18,000 vignettes. This 2,000 m2 place, located opposite the Moselle, combines permanent and temporary exhibitions, while questioning the links between old and contemporary images. The museum offers an innovative approach, combining popular imagery, photography, painting, and other art forms, to explore societal evolutions since the 19th century.

Imaging of Epinal, a private company associated with the museum, has continued this tradition since its creation in the late eighteenth century. The museum and imagery share a common site, allowing visitors to discover both historical heritage and current production. The exhibitions, often inventive, make the Museum of Image a reference point for understanding popular imagery and its cultural impact, both in France and abroad.

The museum is labeled "Musée de France" and is positioned as a key player in the preservation and dissemination of this visual heritage. Its documentation centre, animation workshops and exhibition spaces make it a dynamic place accessible to a wide audience. The façade, the work of graphic designer François Mutterer, symbolizes this fusion between tradition and modernity, inviting an immersion in the world of images, from yesterday to today.

External links