The Friends of the Natural History Museum (French: Société des Amis du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle et du Jardin des Plantes or ''Les Amis du Muséum'') is a French

non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

(association loi 1901), created in 1907 and recognized as a charity (reconnue d'utilité publique) in 1926. Its purpose is to give practical and financial support to the

Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle The French National Museum of Natural History, known in French as the ' (abbreviation MNHN), is the national natural history museum of France and a ' of higher education part of Sorbonne Universities. The main museum, with four galleries, is loc ...

in Paris, France, enrich its collections, zoo, laboratories, greenhouses, gardens and libraries, and to promote scientific research and education related to it.

History

Les Amis du Muséum was founded in 1907 by

Edmond Perrier Jean Octave Edmond Perrier (9 May 1844 – 31 July 1921) was a French zoologist born in Tulle. He is known for his studies of invertebrates (annelids and echinoderms). He was the brother of zoologist Rémy Perrier (1861–1936). Career On advice ...

anatomist, zoologist and Director of the

Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle The French National Museum of Natural History, known in French as the ' (abbreviation MNHN), is the national natural history museum of France and a ' of higher education part of Sorbonne Universities. The main museum, with four galleries, is loc ...

. With the success of

colonial exhibitions A colonial exhibition was a type of international exhibition that was held to boost trade. During the 1880s and beyond, colonial exhibitions had the additional aim of bolstering popular support for the various colonial empires d ...

in the early 20th century, many people became interested in the new discoveries being made, but the Muséum could not afford new acquisitions. Perrier decided to create an organisation to support the actions of the Muséum, and assist in their funding. With President

Léon Bourgeois Léon Victor Auguste Bourgeois (; 21 May 185129 September 1925) was a French statesman. His ideas influenced the Radical Party regarding a wide range of issues. He promoted progressive taxation such as progressive income taxes and social insu ...

, then President of the French Senate, Perrier created Les Amis du Muséum. There were many famous personalities among the first members:

Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (, ; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. Trained in law, Poincaré was elected deputy in ...

Emile Loubet 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 Detective ...

, Paul Doumer and

Prince Albert I of Monaco Albert I (Albert Honoré Charles Grimaldi; 13 November 1848 – 26 June 1922) was Prince of Monaco from 10 September 1889 until his death. He devoted much of his life to oceanography, exploration and science. Alongside his expeditions, Albert ...

. Their political power was useful in helping to acquire new specimens as well as enhancing the flow of financial aid. In 1909, Les Amis du Muséum acquired its first specimen, an ichthyosaur currently on display in the Gallery of Palaeontology. From the beginning, Les Amis du Muséum organized various activities for its members. 1913 saw the first publication of Les Amis du Muséum, ''Nouvelles du Muséum'', it served to inform members of the activities of the Muséum and is the ancestor of the current Bulletin. It already included at least one scientific paper per issue, such as the number 1933. Numerous issues have been published since despite shutdowns caused by war and lack of funds. The Bulletin continues to be published quarterly and is free for members of Les Amis du Muséum. Since 2012, the Bulletin includes a supplement aimed at younger members. In 1926 under President Paul Doumer, then French

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...

, Les Amis du Muséum is recognised as an official charity (reconnaissance d'utilité publique), which allows them to receive donations and legacies of the French government. In 1935 a junior section is open for members under fifteen years old. Two branches are opened in Arcachon and Tananarive (today’s

Antananarivo Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "A ...

) with the aim of spreading the action of the Muséum in the French provinces and colonies. This is the year when the logo of Les Amis du Muséum was designed, it represents three fields present at the museum : Mineral, Plant and Animal.Laissus, Y. (2007). Spécial Centenaire (1907-2007). Bulletin des Amis du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. 230 (Historique), From 1940 Les Amis du Muséum closed down and did not reopen until the end of the war. The Bulletin reappeared three years later as the ''Feuille d'information''. In the 1950s Les Amis du Muséum membership was stagnating due to financial difficulties: the annual fee was deemed too expensive. In 1990, Mr Fontaine , President of Les Amis du Muséum obtained the approval of the Muséum for free entrance to the whole site of the Jardin des Plantes in central Paris. This privilege had been abolished in 1923 and its renewal was appreciated by the public, and allowed the numbers of members to grow again.

FunctioningNational Museum of Natural History, France, Friends Society's section
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Les Amis du Muséum is managed by a board composed of sixteen to twenty members elected by

secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vo ...

for four years by the General Assembly, and selected categories of members that make up the assembly. The professors of the Museum that are part of the organisation are ex-officio members of the board (list of directors).
Board renewal takes place by quarter. The outgoing members are eligible for reappointment. The board elects from among its members by secret ballot, a Bureau composed of a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer and possibly an Assistant Treasurer. Former Presidents may be appointed Honorary Presidents. Members of the bureau are elected for one year, except for the Secretary General who is elected for four years. The Board meets at least once every six months and whenever convened by its President or at the request of a quarter of its members. The presence of one third of the Board is necessary for the validity of the proceedings.
The sessions of the Board are recorded in its Minutes that are signed by the President and the Secretary General. They are transcribed without white spaces or erasures on a register, numbered and initialled by the prefect of Paris or his delegate.
The members of the Board receive no remuneration for their duties. Only expense reimbursements are permitted

Additional informations

Acquisitions

1909 -

Ichthyosaur Ichthyosaurs (Ancient Greek for "fish lizard" – and ) are large extinct marine reptiles. Ichthyosaurs belong to the order known as Ichthyosauria or Ichthyopterygia ('fish flippers' – a designation introduced by Sir Richard Owen in 1842, alt ...

Fossil
1910 - Drawings by H. Du Moustier de Marsilly
1913 - Insect Specimens for the

Entomology Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as ara ...

laboratory
1933 - Collection of

lepidopterist Lepidopterology ()) is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian. Origins Post- Renaissance, t ...

Hans Fruhstorfer Hans Fruhstorfer (7 March 1866, in Passau, Germany – 9 April 1922, in Munich) was a German explorer, insect trader and entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera. He collected and described new species of exotic butterflies, especially in Ad ...

1993 - Collection of

vellum Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. Parchment is another term for this material, from which vellum is sometimes distinguished, when it is made from calfskin, as opposed to that made from other anim ...

s by C. Herpe-Graziani
1995
- 920 documents of mail sent to Gabriel Bertrand
- Letters from Buffon to Madame Necker
- Manuscripts by

Marquis de Condorcet Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis of Condorcet (; 17 September 1743 – 29 March 1794), known as Nicolas de Condorcet, was a French philosopher and mathematician. His ideas, including support for a liberal economy, free and equal pu ...

1996
- Zoological collection from Africa
-

Amphibian Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

collection from Zaire
1997
- Book by C. Jaqueme "Poissons et animaux marins"
- Aquarelle paintings by M. Basseporte "Faune et flore d'Ile de France"
1998
-

Ornithological Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

Paintings by Wahast
-

Baron Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier was a major figure in nat ...

's briefcase
1999
- Manuscripts by

Alcide d'Orbigny Alcide Charles Victor Marie Dessalines d'Orbigny (6 September 1802 – 30 June 1857) was a French naturalist who made major contributions in many areas, including zoology (including malacology), palaeontology, geology, archaeology and anthropol ...

"Voyages dans l'Amérique méridionale"
2000
- manuscripts by

Count Buffon Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (; 7 September 1707 – 16 April 1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopédiste. His works influenced the next two generations of naturalists, including two prominent F ...

"Les époques de la nature"
- 11

infographic Infographics (a clipped compound of "information" and "graphics") are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly.Doug Newsom and Jim Haynes (2004). ''Public Relations Wr ...

paintings of insects by G. du Chatenet
2001 - Scientific books for the Zoological department of mammals and birds
2003
- Crystals of

cinnabar Cinnabar (), or cinnabarite (), from the grc, κιννάβαρι (), is the bright scarlet to brick-red form of mercury(II) sulfide (HgS). It is the most common source ore for refining elemental mercury and is the historic source for the bri ...

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical f ...

from

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...

and

fluorite Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is the mineral form of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It belongs to the halide minerals. It crystallizes in isometric cubic habit, although octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon. The Mohs sca ...

from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

- Documents relating to

Pierre-Joseph Redouté Pierre-Joseph Redouté (, 10 July 1759 – 19 June 1840), was a painter and botanist from Belgium, known for his watercolours of roses, lilies and other flowers at the Château de Malmaison, many of which were published as large, coloured ...

2004 - manuscripts by J. H. Fabre for the Harmas
2005 - Natural History manuscripts by Jean H. Fabre
2006 - book by Etienne de Laigue "Singulier traite sur des tortues, escargots et grenouilles et artichauts"
2007
- Renovation of the statue of Buffon by Carlus
- "Natural history of the squash" by Antoine-Nicolas Duchesne
2009 - Manuscripts by A.-L. de Jussieu, d’A. Thouin, de C. Darwin
2010 - "Flore" by Nicolas François Regnault (85 paintings from the mid-18th century) and photographs by the

Duke of Orléans Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...

.
2012
- Financial supporter for a film on

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 '' Ins ...

- Aid with the publication: "Animal certifié conforme", supervised by B.Lizet et J.Milliet (Ed. Dunod).
2013 - Purchase of the largest ever "Météorite de Draveil" (over 5 kg) for the Muséum.
2014 - Exhibition at CARAN in Paris: "Retour à l’Eden", an expedition of 18th-century Tasmania.

Presidents

1907 - 1922:

, French politician and sculptor
1922 - 1931: Paul Doumer, French President
1932 - 1945: Marcel Olivier , author and governor of Madagascar
1945 - 1961: Jules Marcel de Coppet, governor of Madagascar
1961 - 1968: Julien Marnier-Lapostolle, botanist
1968 - 1969: Robert Genty , colonel
1970 - 1980: Maurice Genevoix, French poet and author
1981 - 1991:

Maurice Fontaine Maurice Fontaine (20 September 1919 – 2 January 2015) was a French politician. Biography He was born in 1919, and was a viticulturist. In 1965, he was elected mayor of Aigues-Mortes, a position he would hold until 1977. He ran for the positio ...

, eminent French biologist
1991 - 2004: Yves Laissus, archivist palaeographer, former director of the Central Library of the

Museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

and General Inspector of the Libraries of France
2004 - 2016: Jean-Pierre Gasc, emeritus professor of the

(a specialist in the locomotion of vertebrates)
Since 2016: Bernard Bodo, emeritus professor of the

(a specialist in the "chemistry of natural substances"''Chimie des substances naturelles'' (literally "chemistry of natural substances") is a commonly taught discipline in French universities and in the French academic milieu.)

Services

Les Amis du Muséum currently has more than 4,000 members and helps the Muséum in several ways: *Financing of scientific projects and research of the Muséum, usually carried out by young doctoral students. *Acquisition of specimens for the collections of the Muséum. *Purchase of books for the library of the Muséum. *Financing of projects and books. *Weekly lectures during the school year, often presented by researchers that Les Amis du Muséum has previously funded. Les Amis du Muséum offers many benefits to its members: *Free entrance on the entire site of the Jardins des Plantes in central Paris: permanent galleries, temporary exhibitions, greenhouses, and the ''Jardin des Plantes'' zoo, the '' Ménagerie''.''Hominidés.com, les évolutions de l'homme'', section ''Les Amis du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle''
/ref> *Reduced entrance fees in the Muséum’s other sites: Arboretum de Chèvreloup, villa Harmas de Jean-Henri Fabre etc. *Field trips and visits in France and abroad. *Discounts on many natural history books (35% of the scientific publications of the Muséum as well as other discounts). *Animal and botanical Drawing Lessons for young people. *The Bulletin of Les Amis du Muséum, a quarterly magazine with a Youngsters supplement. *Offering help and information, the Les Amis du Muséum secretariat opens Tuesday to Friday from 9.30 a. m. to 12.30 p. m. and from 2.00 p. m. to 5.30 p. m. On Saturdays it opens from 2.00 p. m. to 5.30 p. m. Closes doors to the public on Sundays and Mondays.

History

FunctioningNational Museum of Natural History, France, Friends Society's section
/ref>

Additional informations

Acquisitions

Presidents

Services

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

History

FunctioningNational Museum of Natural History, France, Friends Society's section/ref>

Additional informations

Acquisitions

Presidents

Services

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

FunctioningNational Museum of Natural History, France, Friends Society's section
/ref>