Natural history museum of natural history of the Meeting

The Muséum of natural history of the Meeting is only the Muséum Réunion are born. Inaugurated the August 14th 1855, it is located in the middle of the town of Saint-Denis, in the public park of the Jardin of the State. ----

History

Origins

The building which shelters the Natural history museum was built as of 1834 and lodged until in 1848 the colonial council then the general advice, which was then transferred in the current prefecture. It is only the 1854, the governor of the Meeting Louis Henri Hubert Delisle signed the decree of creation of the Natural history museum.

A commission on the organization and the administration of the known as natural history museum is established as of the April 11th 1854. It is chaired by Gustave Manès, the mayor of Saint-Denis.

First natural history museum of natural history of the Indian Ocean, the Natural history museum is finally inaugurated the August 14th 1855 by the same man the following year the involved of general major Hay, governor of the Mauritius. It opens for the first time its doors with the public the August 18th. The August 24th, a circular specifies its mission: the Natural history museum is " intended to receive all the richnesses of the various reigns, and precisely the so abundant specimens and if varied sea of the Indies ".

The May 30th 1862, a preparer with the national Muséum of natural history of Paris called Auguste Lantz is retained for the station of conservative. It will remain at this station until in 1893.

Evolution of the collections

The commission created before the opening of the Natural history museum not having any collection, it started by buying with the full price skins animals in South Africa.

Fortunately, of the local collectors of the name of Beautiful and Grevé (future preparers and ancestors of the taxidermists) make him gift of birds of China and the Malayan islands . The mayor Gustave Manès in person yields 2.000 mineral and animal objects to him coming from Paris. Misters Richard and Bernier offer a Herbier in addition to him. Engineer Maillard gives as for him a wood collection and rocks of local origin. A painter saint-paulois provides him reproductions of Fruit S réunionnais.

Also, at the time of the opening, the Natural history museum counts 800 articulated, 200 shells, 180 vertebrate, 17 Crustacé S and 500 various mineral samples and rocks. This initial collection is quickly supplemented by the voyages of Auguste Lantz with Madagascar, the Seychelles and finally in the southern and antarctic Lands French. At the end of the 19th century, the funds of the Natural history museum is rich of 25.000 objects.

The fast enrichment of the collections enables him to take part in an exposure on the Mauritius as of 1866. The same year, it takes part in the World Fair of Paris. A few years later, the November 29th 1888, 76 birds and six mammals representing fauna réunionnaises are embarked to be presented to the following World Fair organized in the capital. The experiment is renewed third once of the April 15th in November 1906 with the national colonial exposure of Marseilles. The Natural history museum of natural history of the Meeting obtains there the gold medals and of money for its stand.

Like that of 1962 thereafter, the cyclones of 1945 and 1948 will destroy part of the collections. The natural history museum is closed besides between April 1945 and June 1952. A new consecutive closing with the collapse of the ceiling of its library in 1955 trowel the year of its centenary three years later.

In 1990, it remains nothing any more but 12.000 objects with the Natural history museum. He since knew a new spectacular enrichment of his funds. 30.000 parts were acquired between this date and 2005.

Topicality

Collections today

42.000 parts are indexed today with the Natural history museum. Two thirds come from the islands of the west of the Indian Ocean. Among the rarest specimens, a Greek Duck, a male Parakeet eclectus, a Falcon concolore and a Parakeet with collar of Ward. There formerly exist only 13 specimens of this species endemic of the Seychelles and now extinct throughout the world. One also finds a certain number of human Fœtus and a Chevreau born the head with back.

For the remainder, the Natural history museum preserved the inkpot of its first conservative. On the floor, one finds especially a big number of books and scientific engravings of the 18th century and 19th century. The funds old of the Natural history museum comprises 416 of the 1.008 boards of Buffon, gift personal of this last with Mr. de Lanux.

Current operation

In free access first Sunday of each month, the Natural history museum proposes in a regular way to the visitors of the exposures on the natural heritage and the stakes of nature conservation. Like the Garden of the State, it is now property of the Department of the Meeting and managed for this reason by the General advice of the Meeting. Its preserving current is Mrs. Sonia Ribes.

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