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Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée de la batellerie et des voies navigables de Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, created in 1965 at the initiative of Louise Weiss, is the first and most important French museum dedicated to the batellerie. Located in the château du Prieuré, a 19th-century building built on the remains of a medieval priory founded in 1080, it owes its influence to François Beaudouin, a Nautic archaeologist and curator until 1994. Its collections, enriched since 1967, come from donations, state deposits (national museums) and rescues of objects during the liquidations of river companies in the 1970s and 1980s. The museum is distinguished by its scientific models, its iconographic archives and its documentation centre open to researchers.

The museum is structured around five thematic areas: the 17th-15th century shipbuilding (tables, art objects), the 19th-20th century mechanical navigation (trailers, self-propelled), the northern barges and canals, the operation of locks, and an exposed courtyard with boats and tools. It also houses historic boats moored below, such as the tug Jacques (classified as a historical monument) and the pusher Triton 25, managed by the Association of Friends of the Museum (AAMB). This association plays a key role in the acquisitions, restorations and publication of Museum Cahiers, while organizing collection campaigns to preserve river heritage.

The museum benefited from its proximity to Paris and from the networks set up by François Beaudouin, notably with the Parisian shipping companies and specialized antique dealers. Until the 1990s, Beaudouin's budget prioritized the enrichment of collections (maquettes, tools, archives) to the detriment of museumography, according to Beaudouin's vision of "preserving the future". In 1994, a reorientation focused on works of art and technical history of waterways, while the modernization of exhibitions was undertaken in 2015, on the occasion of the 56th National Pardon of the Skippers. The château du Prieuré, acquired by the commune in 1932, also offers an exceptional panorama of the Seine valley and the port of boathouse.

The museum is inextricably linked to the National Forgiveness of the Skippers, created in 1960, a major event for the mariner community. Its collections include unique reconstructions of missing ports (Adour, Dordogne), shipyard tools, and archives of the Paris Ports Inspectorate. The AAAMB, distinct but partner, also manages sailing vessels like the Triton 25, the last tug built in 1954, still operational and open to the public at events. The museum, labeled Musée de France, remains a central player in the memory and transmission of river know-how.

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