French Museum of Photography

With more than 25,000 objects, a million photographs, a library and a unique technical documentary collection, the French Museum of Photography brings together one of the most important collections internationally.

Conseil Départemental de l'Essonne

Conseil départemental de l'Essonne

Conseil départemental de l'Essonne

In 1960, two passionate amateurs, Jean and André Fage, opened an associative museum in Bièvres. For more than thirty years they brought together images and objects testifying to the history of photography.

The Departmental Council of Essonne welcomes you to a departmental museum approved "Museum of France" since 2003. The French Museum of Photography offers a temporary exhibitions program that allows to rotate the museum three funds: images, devices and documentation.

With an exceptional collection of nearly a million images, 25,000 materials, more than 50,000 printed documents (books, manuals, catalogs, magazines, posters, etc.), from 1839 to the present day, the French Museum Photography aims to tell the story and history of photography!

How were pictures taken in 1850, during the First World War or at the end of the 20th century? How were images disseminated at a time when we did not know yet how to reproduce them in books and newspapers? How did chemistry make them appear in the darkness of the laboratory, long before computers, printers and digital networks are invented? Why did we move from a complex craft to a flourishing industry and a universal practice? What is the use of billions of photos produced, reproduced, classified, preserved and sometimes forgotten or discarded?

Begin to answer these questions, and many others, by discovering surprising images, mysterious objects, amusing commercials... thanks to the museum, we try to understand our "civilization of the image", to form our critical eye, to discover the little stories that make up the great History of the image.

• General information
• Openings
• Fares
• Visits
• Features
• Facility info
• Meeting facilities

General information

Spoken languages :

Suitable tourism :Hearing disabilityMental disability

Surcharge tourismes adaptes :1

Surcharge descriptif handicap moteur :1

Surcharge descriptif handicap auditif :1

Surcharge descriptif handicap visuel :1

Surcharge descriptif handicap mental :1

Surcharge nombre fauteuils roulants :1

Specific customers :Cycle 4: middle SchoolChildren from 6 to 12 yearsCycle 3: college (6th)Young people from 13 to 17 years oldCycle 3: elementary school (CM1, CM2)Cycle 1: nursery schoolCycle 2: elementary SchoolHigh schoolGroupsHigher Education

Openings

Closed temporarily.

Fares

Free of charge.

Visits

Possibility to visit

Visits for individual visitors : Unguided individual tours on request Guided individual tours on request

Duration of visits for individual visitors : 60min

Visits for groups : Unguided group tours on request Guided group tours on request

Duration of visits for groups : 60min

Languages :

Features

Fittings :

• Film room
• Free car park
• Meeting room
• Car park
• Public WC
• Defibrillator
• Exhibition space
• Entertainments room
• Toilets

Services :

• Educational visits
• Booking obligatory
• Shop
• Booking of general amenities
• Tour free of charge
• Guided tours
• Leisure Center

Activities :

• Handicrafts workshops
• Temporary exhibition
• Activity
• Children's entertainment

Facility info

Group sizes up to : 30

Meeting facilities

Number of rooms : 1

Rooms suited to : Seminar/meeting

Salle au musée de la photo : Cette salle est principalement occupée sur réservation la semaine ou le week-end pour les activités du musée : accueil des groupes en visite et médiation au musée (classes, associations, centres de loisirs, hôpitaux de jours,…), réunions internes au musée ou à la Direction de la Culture et de l’Action internationale (DCAI) ou parfois autres directions du Département. Le musée y organise également des événements tels des vernissages, conférences, ateliers, performances…, dans le cadre de sa programmation culturelles. Le musée ne dispose pourtant pas de personnel pour la logistique des installations, notamment informatiques et audiovisuelles. Maximum capacity : 1 person