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Musée des Arts et Métiers

The Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris (Museum of Arts and Crafts) is one of the world's oldest museums dedicated to science, technology a nd industrial design. Founded in 1794 during the French Revolution, it was established to preserve and showcase scientific instruments and industrial innovations.The museum was created by Henri Grégoire, a priest and revolutionary, who proposed the idea of a “Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers” as a way to safeguard inventions and encourage technical progres. Initially, it served as a repository for scientific and industrial inventions, ensuring that France remained at the forefront of technological advancement. It was housed in the Abbaye de Saint-Martin-des-Champs, a former medieval monastery, which still serves as its location today. Throughout the 19th century, the museum’s collection grew significantly, acquiring scientific instruments, machines, and industrial tools and it became a center for education, helping engineers and craftsmen study mechanical principles and technological progress. In 2000, a major renovation reorganized the museum into seven thematic collections: Scientific Instruments, Materials, Energy, Mechanics, Construction, Communication, Transport (including railways). Among  notable exhibits are the original pendulum used by Léon Foucault in 1851 to demonstrate Earth’s rotation and  a 17th-century mechanical calculator invented by Blaise Pascal. The first portable steam engine and self propelled vehicle (automobile) Nicolas Cugnot's 1770 Fardier has been in this collection for over 200 years. Today, the museum houses over 80,000 objects and 15,000 drawings, though only around 2,500 are on display.

February 16 th 2025

 

 
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