Musée de l'Amérique francophone facts for kids
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| Established | 22 October 1806 |
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| Location | 2, côte de la Fabrique Quebec City, Quebec G1R 3V6 |
| Type | National Historic Site of Canada |
The Musée de l'Amérique francophone (Museum of French-Speaking America) is a special museum in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It's located in the historic Old Quebec area. This museum is actually the oldest one in all of Canada!
It holds many interesting things. You can find very old books, some from the 1500s. There are also unique objects from Cyprus, beautiful paintings, and even a copy of the famous The Birds of America book. The museum also has a recreated organ from a very old church. Since 1995, the museum's collection has been managed by the Musée de la civilisation.
Contents
Museum History
This museum first opened its doors on October 22, 1806. Back then, it was called the Musée du Séminaire. This makes it the oldest museum in Canada!
In 1993, its name changed to Musée de l'Amérique française. Then, in 1995, it became part of a bigger museum group, the Musée de la civilisation. To make its image more modern, the museum was renamed again in 2013. Its current name is Musée de l'Amérique francophone.
Museum Building
The museum is right next to the Séminaire de Québec in Quebec City. In 1838, an architect named Thomas Baillairgé designed the museum's building. He created its unique round front.
There's also a former chapel attached to the building. It's called Chapelle du Musée de l'Amérique francophone. This chapel is a special religious heritage site. Today, it's used for conferences and events. The museum is part of the larger Musée de la civilisation complex.
What's in the Collection?
By 1991, the museum had about 110,000 items in its collection. When it first opened, it had objects used for teaching science.
Today, the collection includes many different things. You can see old coins, stamps, and fossils. There are also paintings, statues, and prints. The museum has many books, as well as gold and silverware.
The museum's old documents and records are very important. In 2007, they were added to the Memory of the World Register. This is a list of important documents from around the world. Some of these rare books and archives are kept at the French America Reference Centre inside the museum.
Artifacts from Cyprus
The museum has a collection of artifacts from Cyprus. These are ancient objects from a country called Cyprus. In 1966, Jean Des Gagniers gave 40 pieces to the museum. Later, in 1991, Louis-Albert Vachon donated 60 more.
These artifacts are very old, dating from the Neolithic period (New Stone Age) to the Medieval times. They include items made from clay and even a sculpture.
Famous Art and Books
The museum displays paintings by well-known artists. These include Joseph Légaré, Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté, and Jean Paul Lemieux.
It also has a very special four-volume copy of The Birds of America. This famous book was written by John James Audubon. Another important book is a copy of the Encyclopédie. You can also see a copy of the first book of hours made for Henri III of France.
The Chapel Organ
In 2009, a company called Juget-Sinclair built a special organ for the museum's chapel. This organ is a careful copy of an organ built in 1753. The original organ was for the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec. Sadly, it was destroyed in 1759. The new organ is placed on the second floor balcony inside the museum.
The Enfer Section
The museum has a special section of books called Enfer. This French word means 'Hell' or 'Inferno'. These were books that were once considered "forbidden."
In 1964, Université Laval moved to a new location. At that time, they gave the museum all books published before 1920. They also gave the museum books from their special forbidden section, the Enfer.
This collection has 603 books, mostly from the 1700s and 1800s. About half are in French, a quarter in English, and the rest in other languages. There are also over 900 smaller writings like leaflets. Some books are from the 1500s. You can also find stories from explorers from the 1600s and 1700s.
Some of these Enfer books have notes written by members of the Séminaire de Québec. These notes explain why the book was placed in the forbidden section. Some books even have parts crossed out or ink stains. The collection also includes letters from religious leaders. These letters either allowed or denied people permission to read the Enfer books.
Exhibitions
The museum often has different exhibitions for visitors to explore:
- L'Œuvre du Séminaire de Québec: This exhibit shows the history and work of the Séminaire de Québec.
- Partir sur la route des francophones (On the Road: The Francophone Odyssey): This exhibit tells the story of French-speaking people. It shows how they moved from places like Acadia, the St. Lawrence River, and Louisiana to other parts of North America.
- Révélations, l'art pour comprendre le monde: This fine arts exhibit was created in 2013. It celebrated the 350th anniversary of the Séminaire de Québec.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de la América Francesa para niños
