The City of the boatmen

The Cité of the Boatmen is a French museum devoted to the Batellerie located at Longueil-Anal (Oise). It was opened with the public in July 2000.

The village of Longueil-Anal is located on the Oise, just upstream of Compiegne, to 80 km of Paris. The village is a high-place of French shipping. It became an important river port with the Industrial revolution in particular with the construction of the side channel in Oise between 1826 and 1831. The village increased, new houses, new trade (one counted to 32 coffees in the city). The inhabitants of Longueil-Anal are often unloaded boatmen, who live in red brick houses at the edge of water, and thus remain in contact with the world of shipping. Life of the village east rate/rhythm by the boats which pass.

The museum is located in full heart with Longueil-Anal, on the edges of Oise.

History of the museum

The boatmen remain attached to Longueil-Anal and come to take their retirement there to remain in contact with their old lifestyle. In 1992, an exposure of objects around shipping is organized by Jacques Broutin, a former boatman. It will have a great success and will give the desire for creating an association " The Friendly one of the Museum of the Water " Way;.

This exposure especially will give the idea to create a museum on this topic! Quickly, the elected officials of the commune of Longueil-Anal wish to create a museum. The file is rather heavy to set up, it is thus entrusted to the Communauté of communes of the Two Valleys of which made party the village. A study is launched as well as an invitation to tender for a control of work.

The Friendly one of the Museum of the Water Way is at the origin of the project. It was creates in 1993 following the exposure of 1992. This association gave its active support as well at the time of the creation of the museum, thanks to its councils and its gifts of objects, as since its opening with the participation of its members in the visits of groups. They brought their knowledge and their experiment to make of this museum: a museum not like the others.

The museum was inaugurated on July 9th, 2000, in the presence of the Secretary of State to Tourism, Michelle Demessine

Museum and visits

The museum is articulated around:

the House Museum
the Barge Museum " Freycinet"
sound Kiosks and banks of the channel

1 - The visit of the house museum makes it possible to remember the importance of the village of Longueil-Anal in the world of shipping. The great technical innovations are presented, as well as the fight of the marines for social skills and more generally the recognition of a trade. Thanks to testimonys of marines, one familiarizes oneself with a not very common life. 2 - While entering the hold of the barge " Freycinet" , the visitor is plunged in the daily newspaper of the marine: the supply, loading and unloading of the goods, problems and dangers involved in an itinerant lifestyle. 3 - The visitor will finish by a walk along the banks of the channel, marked out by the 5 sound kiosks on the spot and activities of shipping. A walk where the 10 commands of the Marinier S are pointed out and where one can discover the operation of a lock life size.

The visit of the city of the Boatmen proceeds in five progressive stages, from the interior towards outside.

Scenography uses materials and techniques such as sound models, films and books, walls of images, kiosks sound, objects and photographs of yesterday and today. . The individual visit of covered spaces lasts approximately 1:45. But the City of the Boatmen is also an open space to explore freely. With the walk along the banks, the course of the City of the Boatmen can last one half-day. External spaces are of free access and free.

A visit " on mesure" : Since its creation, the City of the Boatmen made evolve/move his offer of visit. Indeed, to encourage the children the Museum a " has to visit; visit play " was especially conceived. In addition, the marines also accompany the visits by the groups of 20 people and more on reservation. Lastly, to incite the visitors to visit the Museum during the low season of the exposures are proposed.

More than one museum, this scenographic space wants to be before just like the discovery of a history and a lifestyle where reign of the values such as freedom, solidarity and respect of others. Within the framework of visits of groups, marines in retirement guide you and sections of life offer to you. Their passion as regards good more than one trade in their eyes, makes these meetings particularly cordial, moving and rich person by teaching.

Visits

Individual visit

Visits of groups: The groups are accompanied in their visit by marines in retirement. They answer all the questions about the daily life of a marine and, by the means of anecdotes, transmit their experiment of the life to edge. These explanations make it possible to finish the visit with a good comprehension of this original lifestyle. There is no supplement for the accompanied visits.

The visits plays:

These visits are proposed with the groups of 3 to 12 years, they make it possible to discover the world of shipping in a ludic and teaching way. The team of the City of the Boatmen developed these visits plays in collaboration with the Animation services and Tourism of the CC2V, to draw the attention of the children. Two different visits are proposed: p' tits Soft for the 3-6 years and Ship's boys for the 7-12 years. Groups of children are made up, they are then accompanied by an organizer by the Museum.

P' tits Soft: 3 to 6 years the visit is appeared as workshops: giant puzzle, coloring, dominos… Explanations are given on the operation of a lock, on the various objects related to shipping. The film on the life of a boatman is also projected.

Ship's boys: 7 to 12 years The children discover the museum thanks to a booklet enigma. It is to be supplemented by seeking the answers in the house or the barge.

These visits address to the groups of children schools and recreational centres. They are also declined in a form simplified for the children who discover the museum individually (in family). The visits last 30 minutes to 2:00 approximately according to the old one of the children. The reservations are obligatory for the visits play suggested with the groups.

The children discover the whole of the museum thanks to sound books, vidéos and photographs recalling the life of the boatmen. The team of animation is at the disposal of the children. She guides them throughout the play.

; Exposures: The City of the Boatmen punctually organizes exposures in the hold of the barge museum. They are organized either at the time of a precise event, or to attract the visitors apart from the summer period. These exposures are often installation in collaboration with the service tourism of the CC2V.

; The birthday of the museum: Each year, around on July 20th, the City of the Boatmen celebrates his birthday! You inform!

; The Forgiveness of Shipping: First Sunday of July, the commune of Longueil-Anal and the marines organize the Forgiveness of Shipping. More than 7000 people come each year to attend the procession of barges pavoized, with the spectacles of street or with the traditional water tournaments on the channel.

External bond

Official site

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