Bibliotheque Thiers Library museum in Paris
The Bibliotheque Thiers is a historical library and museum in Paris located in a mansion house, it is most noted for its speciality of French history from 1789 to 1900 and holds one of the largest collections of items and documents relating to the First French Empire and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte.
About Bibliotheque Thiers Library and Museum
It was back in 1832 that a gentleman by the name of Alexis Dosne who owned land at the Place Saint Georges decided to have a large Hotel or mansion house constructed and when Louis-Adolphe Thiers married his daughter Elise, they lived in the mansion from 1840.
Louis-Adolphe Thiers dedicated his time to history and writing, and most notably the Consulate and the Empire, but he was also involved in politics, and unfortunately the mansion was destroyed during the Paris Commune, yet was reconstructed and rebuilt between 1873 and 1875 by the architect Alfred Aldrophe.
After his death, he was succeeded by his wife and sister in law, and the Thiers Foundation was set up, and then Felicie Dosne donated the hotel with its exceptional library to the Institut de France in 1905.
The foundation is housed within the Hotel Dosne-Thiers and the Bibliotheque Thiers was first inaugurated in 1913, and at present the Thiers library museum holds about 156,000 volumes, approximately 1,500 old periodicals and 30,000 prints, caricatures, drawings and manuscripts, which are devoted to the history of France in the nineteenth century.
The specialty of the Bibliotheque Thiers is general history of France, political, military, social and administrative France since the Revolution to the First World War, and also contains numerous objects of art, paintings, engravings etc, along with Napoleonic memorabilia.
And it holds one of the largest collections in the world relating to the First French Empire, which was greatly enhanced by the bequest from historian Frederic Masson, plus incredibly within this library museum in Paris there are over 2,000 objects and paintings along with around 1,000 drawings and approximately 40,000 engravings that are all dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte I.
Visiting Bibliotheque Thiers
Throughout the year visits to the Hotel Dosne-Theirs and the Bibliotheque Thiers library museum are arranged by prior appointment, and these are normally for group visits of 10 to 50 people, with speakers available if required by telephoning +33 (0) 1 48 78 14 33.
By prior arrangement researchers can also visit the Bibliotheque Thiers, and you will also be pleased to know that this museum also takes part in the Journees du Patrimoine Heritage Days, which are normally held in September each year.
Different events are also organised within the luxurious rooms including conferences, concerts and exhibitions, plus they can also be utilised for private functions and film shoots, etc.
Now when it comes to getting to the Bibliotheque Thiers library and museum, you will find it located at the Place Saint-Georges in the 9th Arrondissement close to the Musee Gustave Moreau, and the nearest Metro station is the Saint-Georges stop via line 12.
