Death of Henri Dupuis 1889 (≈ 1889)
Légue Maison et Collections à Saint-Omer.
1894
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 1894 (≈ 1894)
Five years after his death.
1921
Donation Van Kempen
Donation Van Kempen 1921 (≈ 1921)
20,000 birds join the collections.
1950
Reorganization of museums
Reorganization of museums 1950 (≈ 1950)
Specialization in natural history.
2004
Closing of the museum
Closing of the museum 2004 (≈ 2004)
Non-compliant building.
2019
Bicentennial of Dupuis
Bicentennial of Dupuis 2019 (≈ 2019)
Retrospective exhibition in Saint-Omer.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Henri Dupuis (1819–1889) - Founder and collector
Created the museum in his home.
Charles Van Kempen - Donor ornithologist
Offered 20,000 bird specimens.
Origin and history
Henri Dupuis (1819–89), passionate about natural history and decorative art, turned his home of Saint-Omer into a museum to exhibit his collections: ceramics, shells, paintings and Flemish objects. When he died in 1889, he bequeathed house and collections to the city, with a mission to educate young people about local heritage. The museum opened in 1894, faithful to its original museum, under the management of the Antiquarians of Morinia.
In 1921 Charles Van Kempen enriched the collections with 20,000 bird specimens. In 1950, a reorganization distinguished the Henri Dupuis Museum — now dedicated to natural history — from the Sandelin Museum (beaux-arts). The 1970s saw the addition of dioramas to modernise the presentation, while preserving the Dupuis office, the Flemish cuisine and the shellfish room intact.
Closed in 2004 for non-compliance, the museum is the subject of a restoration and enhancement of its collections. Temporary exhibitions, especially during Heritage Days, allow the public to rediscover this heritage. In 2019, the bicentenary of Dupuis is celebrated with a retrospective exhibition, highlighting its scientific and cultural heritage.
