Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée des Terre-Neuvas et de la Pêche, inaugurated in 1988 in Fécamp (Seine-Maritime), was a tribute to the Newfoundland sailors and the Morutière fishery, a major historical activity of the region. Created in the midst of the crisis of this fishery (the last trawler, the Dauphin, was disarmed in 1987), it met a strong expectation of the former sailors to preserve this collective memory. The museum housed unique models of trawlers, marine paintings, and tools to show the lives of fishermen, from the Vikings to modern trawlers. It also evoked herring fishing, essential to Fécamp since the Middle Ages.

The museum was installed in a new building designed by architect Fernand Denis, thanks to a municipal deliberation in 1986. Jean Recher, captain of Grande pêche and author of Le Grand profession (1977), played a key role in his creation. Among its treasures, the caique Notre-Dame de Bonsecours (1948), a traditional boat of fishermen from Yport, restored to its original appearance. The museum organized major exhibitions, such as Marine Women (2003) or Louis Garneray, Fishing at La Morue (2000), and conducted research on maritime history.

After 24 years of activity and more than one million visitors, the museum closed in 2012 to transfer its collections to Les Pêcheries, a new museum opened in 2017 in an old industrial drying plant. This place, designed by architect André Hayamon and rehabilitated by Basalt Architecture, preserves the memory of the fisheries of Fécamp while expanding the themes (beaux-arts, ethnology, childhood). The museum also collaborated in regional exhibitions, such as Newfoundland, Newfoundland (2013-2014), labeled for national interest.

The Terre-Neuvas museum was structured into thematic sections: from Vikings to Morutiers, shipbuilding, herring fishing, and rescue at sea. Its collections, enriched by private donations, illustrate the evolution of fishing techniques and the social life of port communities. The original building, although closed, remains a symbol of the Fecampese maritime identity, while the Fisheries today perpetuate this heritage mission.

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