Deyrolle, 46 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris 2013

During the 20th century, Deyrolle was a Parisian institution for natural sciences and

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

. It is one of the best known companies of entomology and

taxidermy Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proc ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. Today, Deyrolle is a shop and a cabinet of curiosities open to the public, a reference in the field of taxidermy, entomology and natural sciences, whose vocation is to show the beauty of Nature. Deyrolle is also involved in pedagogy and art.

History

Since 1831

Deyrolle was created in 1831 by Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle, who was soon succeeded by his son Achille, at 46 rue du Bac in a building constructed in 1697-1699 by Jean-Baptiste Voille for a member of the Bruand family (Libéral Bruand). It was deeply transformed in 1739 by Samuel-Jacques Bernard, son of the banker of Louis XIV, Samuel Bernard (7^e arrondissement). Beyond its scientific material, minerals collections, seashells, fossils, mounted animals and prehistoric tools, Deyrolle provides pedagogical charts to schools and universities in France, made to illustrate teacher’s lessons. (''Musée scolaire Deyrolle''). In 1995, the world famous painter Richard Marolle bought Deyrolle before selling it to Louis Albert de Broglie In 2001 Louis Albert de Broglie bought Deyrolle and he restored the shop.

The fire of 2008

On February the 1st 2008, the Cabinet of Curiosities was destroyed by a big fire. The cause was probably a short circuit. A big part of the rooms and of the collections has been destroyed: butterflies, insects, and animals (zebras, alligators, gazelles, bears, lions, shellfish and turtles). On May the 15th 2008, the building was already cleaned and the two rooms of the first floor reopened. Some artists who contributed to save Deyrolle:

Jan Fabre Jan Fabre (born 14 December 1958) is a Belgian multidisciplinary artist, playwright, stage director, choreographer and designer. Conviction for sexual assault and harassment In September 2018, twenty former members of Fabre's performing ar ...

Nan Goldin Nancy Goldin (born September 12, 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work often explores LGBT subcultures, moments of intimacy, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the opioid epidemic. Her most notable work is '' The Ballad of Sexual Depe ...

- Jacques Grange - Karen Knorr - Marie-Jo Lafontaine - Claude Lalanne - François-Xavier Lalanne -

Pierre Alechinsky Pierre Alechinsky (born 19 October 1927) is a Belgian artist. He has lived and worked in France since 1951. His work is related to tachisme, abstract expressionism, and lyrical abstraction. Life Alechinsky was born in Schaerbeek. In 1944 he ...

Yann Arthus-Bertrand Yann Arthus-Bertrand (born 13 March 1946) is a French environmentalist, activist, journalist and photographer. He has also directed films about the impact of humans on the planet. He is especially well known for his book ''Earth from Above'' (19 ...

- Miquel Barcelo - Pascal Bernier - Laurent Bochet -

Sophie Calle Sophie Calle (born 9 October 1953) is a French writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. Calle's work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, and evokes the French literary movement known as Oulipo. ...

- Johan Creten - Marc Dantan - Nicolas Darrot -

Mark Dion Mark Dion (born August 28, 1961) is an American conceptual artist best known for his use of scientific presentations in his installations. His work examines the manner in which prevalent ideologies and institutions influence our understanding ...

- Bettina Rheims -

Bernar Venet Bernar Venet (born 20 April 1941) is a French conceptual artist. Early life Bernar Venet was born to Jean-Marie Venet, a school teacher and chemist, and Adeline Gilly and was the youngest of four boys. He was brought up in Château-Arnoux-Sai ...

Huang Yong Ping Huáng Yǒng Pīng (; February 18, 1954 – October 20, 2019) was a Chinese-French contemporary artist and one of the most well known Chinese avant-garde artists of his time. Born in Xiamen, he was recognized as the most controversial and provoc ...

Pedagogy

The ancient charts

Deyrolle is well known for its pedagogical charts. It all starts around 1871, when

Emile Deyrolle Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *'' Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *'' Emil and the Detecti ...

developed everything that concerns the educational material, anatomical models in staff, biology pieces, and most of all, the creation of coloured wall charts, published under the name "Musée scolaire Deyrolle". They are meant to teach the "Leçons de choses" ("Lessons of things") but also

Botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

Zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

, Entomology,

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

Anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having it ...

Civics Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society. The term derives from the Latin word ''civicus'', meaning "relating to a citizen". The term relates to behavior affecting other citizens, particularly in the context of ur ...

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

, Chemistry,

Geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

, Mineralogy,

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

, etc. « ''Visual instruction is the least tiring for the mind, but this education can have good results only if the ideas engraved in the children’s mind are rigorously exact.'' »

Émile Deyrolle Émile Deyrolle (1838–1917) was a French naturalist and natural history dealer in Paris. The business was originally owned by his naturalist grandfather, Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle who opened his shop in 1831 at 23, Rue de la Monnaie. Émile’s f ...

Deyrolle pour l'Avenir

In 2007, Louis Albert de Broglie restarted the publishing activity with the creation of new educational charts addressing contemporary environmental and societal issues. It is the start of a new collection of educational charts published under the name of Deyrolle pour l’Avenir (DPA). There are charts on sustainable development,

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

s, endangered species, renewable energy, etc.

The savoir-faire

Taxidermy

Deyrolle is a reference in the field of taxidermy. We can find birds, beasts and mammals from all over the world. At Deyrolle, with only a few exceptions, no animal was killed to be mounted: the non-domestic species come from zoos, parks, where they died of old age or illness. They are traceable, and protected species are held and delivered in accordance with the Washington Convention (CITES).

Entomology

Deyrolle is also known for its entomological collections. The drawers of the entomological room are filled with colourful butterflies, beetles, and other insects. It is possible to see the experts of the entomology team working on the mounting of insects.

Art

The first aim of Deyrolle was to teach natural sciences to children and students, but Deyrolle was a point of interest also for artists: the surrealists André Breton and

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...

, the painters

Jean Dubuffet Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French painter and sculptor. His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called "low art" and eschewed traditional standards of beauty in favor of what he believed to be a ...

and Mathieu, the writers

Louise de Vilmorin Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

and

Théodore Monod Théodore André Monod (9 April 1902 – 22 November 2000) was a French naturalist, humanist, scholar and explorer. Exploration Early in his career, Monod was made professor at the ''Muséum national d'histoire naturelle'' and founded the '' Inst ...

Raymond Queneau Raymond Queneau (; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo ('' Ouvroir de littérature potentielle''), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Biography Queneau w ...

and many others stopped regularly at the shop. Éric Sander or also Charwei Tsai was exhibited at Deyrolle.

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

used the rooms of Deyrolle in July 2010 for his movie ''

Midnight in Paris ''Midnight in Paris'' is a 2011 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialis ...

'', and

Wes Anderson Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. His films are known for their eccentricity and unique visual and narrative styles. They often contain themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Cited by ...

is a huge fan of the shop. Deyrolle also develops collaborations with artists, such as Aurèle and

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...

Music

In 2005, French singer

Nolwenn Leroy Nolwenn Le Magueresse (; born 28 September 1982), known by her stage name Nolwenn Leroy (), is a French singer-songwriter, musician and actress. Originally classically trained (violin and opera singing), she rose to fame after winning the second ...

shot the artwork for her album '' Histoires Naturelles'' at Deyrolle, as well as the music video for the single "Histoire Naturelle".

Exhibitions

Some exhibitions: * Takeshi Shikama, « Garden of Memory : Animals and Plants » for Festival Photo Saint Germain 2015. * Jonathan F.Kugel brings three artists together in « Trophies »: James Webster, Dan Glasser, Juliette Seydoux, inspired by the rhinos condition. (2015) * Camille Renversade, « Histoires surnaturelles » *

, Le Cabinet de Curiosités, « Signification (Hope, Immortality and Death in Paris, Now and Then) » (2014) * Alain Fouray, « Panache » (2014) * Caroline Rennequin, « Cheptel des vanités » (2014) * Jean-Luc Maniouloux, « Impacts » (2012) * Louis de Torhout, « Cires Botaniques : l’Art et la matière » (2012)

References

External links

Deyrolle by New York Times

Animal House by Vanity Fair

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