Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of the Old Argenteuil finds its origins in the collections created by the Société du Vieille Argenteuil in 1932, before being taken over by the City in 2004. Its holdings cover local history, from prehistory to contemporary times, with a focus on viticulture, market gardening and industry, reflecting the agricultural and manufacturing past of Argenteuil, especially in the 20th century. The collections also include medieval archaeological objects, such as those of Notre Dame Abbey, linked to Heloïse and Abélard, as well as various archives (textiles, iconographies, manuscripts).

The museum is enriched with donations and transfers, such as the Roland Toutain fonds (correspondences with Jean Marais or Jean Cocteau), the archives of the local Resistance, or the notebooks of Jean-Etienne Delacroix, chroniculating rural life between 1882 and 1920. Rare pieces are preserved there, such as an autograph letter by Claude Monet, medals from the 19th and 20th centuries, or urban models. Currently closed for rehabilitation, its reserves also house medieval ensembles (chapitals, ceramics) and works of art (paintings, sculptures).

The history of the building dates back to 1674, when René Coiffier, adviser to the Parliament of Paris, bequeathed his hotel to the Brotherhood of the Daughters of Charity, founded in Argenteuil by Saint Vincent de Paul in 1624. Transformed into a hospital in 1694 thanks to Louis XIV, it operated until 1929. Today, the museum highlights various themes: national archaeology, decorative arts, industrial history, or religious practices, through collections labeled Musée de France.

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