During the 20th century, Deyrolle was a Parisian institution for

natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

s and

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

. It is one of the best known companies of

entomology Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

and

taxidermy Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body by mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proces ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Today, Deyrolle is a shop and a

cabinet of curiosities Cabinets of curiosities ( and ), also known as wonder-rooms ( ), were encyclopedic collections of objects whose categorical boundaries were, in Renaissance Europe, yet to be defined. Although more rudimentary collections had preceded them, t ...

open to the public, a reference in the field of taxidermy, entomology and natural sciences, whose vocation is to show the beauty of Nature. Deyrolle is also involved in pedagogy and art.

History

Since 1831

Deyrolle was created in 1831 by Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle, who was soon succeeded by his son

Achille Achille (, ) is a French and Italian masculine given name, derived from the Greek mythological hero Achilles. It may refer to: People Artists * Achille Beltrame (1871–1945), Italian painter * Achille Calici (c. 1565–?), Italian painter * ...

, at 46 rue du Bac in a building constructed in 1697-1699 by Jean-Baptiste Voille for a member of the Bruand family (Libéral Bruand). It was deeply transformed in 1739 by Samuel-Jacques Bernard, son of the banker of Louis XIV, Samuel Bernard (7^e arrondissement). Beyond its scientific material, minerals collections, seashells, fossils, mounted animals and prehistoric tools, Deyrolle provides pedagogical charts to schools and universities in France, made to illustrate teacher’s lessons. (''Musée scolaire Deyrolle''). In 1995, the world famous painter Richard Marolle bought Deyrolle before selling it to Louis Albert de Broglie In 2001 Louis Albert de Broglie bought Deyrolle and he restored the shop.

The fire of 2008

On February the 1st 2008, the

Cabinet of Curiosities Cabinets of curiosities ( and ), also known as wonder-rooms ( ), were encyclopedic collections of objects whose categorical boundaries were, in Renaissance Europe, yet to be defined. Although more rudimentary collections had preceded them, t ...

was destroyed by a big fire. The cause was probably a short circuit. A big part of the rooms and of the collections has been destroyed: butterflies, insects, and animals (zebras, alligators, gazelles, bears, lions, shellfish and turtles). On May the 15th 2008, the building was already cleaned and the two rooms of the first floor reopened. Some artists who contributed to save Deyrolle:

Jan Fabre Jan Fabre (born 14 December 1958) is a versatile Belgian artist known for his contributions to theater, literature, and visual arts. With a career spanning nearly four decades, Fabre has established himself as an influential figure in the artist ...

Nan Goldin Nancy Goldin (born 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work explores in snapshot-style the emotions of the individual, in intimate relationships, and the Bohemian style, bohemian LGBT subcultural communities, especially dealing w ...

Jacques Grange Jacques Grange (born 27 June 1944) is a French interior designer. Biography After completing his training at the École Boulle and the École Camondo, Grange made a career as a decorator in France and abroad from the 1970s. His main customers in ...

Karen Knorr Karen Knorr HonFRPS (born 1954) is a German-born American photographer who lives in London. In 2018 she received an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society. Her work is held in the collection at Tate, London. Early life and educati ...

Marie-Jo Lafontaine Marie-Jo Lafontaine (born 17 November 1950) is a Belgian sculpture, sculptor and video artist. She lives and works as a Professor of Media Arts at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design in Brussels. Lafontaine is from Antwerp (Anvers), Bel ...

- Claude Lalanne -

François-Xavier Lalanne Les Lalanne (sometimes translated as "The Lalannes" in English) is the term for the French artist team of François-Xavier Lalanne (1927–2008) and Claude Lalanne (1924–2019). Biographies Francois-Xavier Lalanne was born in Agen, France, and ...

Pierre Alechinsky Pierre Alechinsky (; born 19 October 1927) is a Belgian artist. He has lived and worked in France since 1951. His work is related to tachisme, abstract expressionism, and lyrical abstraction. Life Alechinsky was born in Schaerbeek, Belgium, to ...

Yann Arthus-Bertrand Yann Arthus-Bertrand (; born 13 March 1946) is a French environmentalist, activist, journalist and photographer. He has also directed films about the impact of humans on the planet. He is especially well known for his book '' Earth from Above'' ...

- Miquel Barcelo - Pascal Bernier - Laurent Bochet -

Sophie Calle Sophie Calle (; born 9 October 1953) is a French writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. Daughter of the contemporary art collector Robert Calle, Calle's work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constrai ...

Johan Creten Johan Creten (born 1963) is a Flemish sculptor, born in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. He lives and works in Paris, France. In 2009 he was nominated for the Flemish Culture Prize. Life and career Exhibitions 2003 * "Johan Creten", Bass Museum ...

- Marc Dantan - Nicolas Darrot -

Mark Dion Mark Dion (born August 28, 1961) is an American conceptual artist best known for his use of scientific presentations in his installations. His work examines the manner in which prevalent ideologies and institutions influence our understanding ...

Bettina Rheims Bettina Caroline Germaine Rheims (; born 18 December 1952) is a French photographer. Career Early stages Bettina Rheims was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Her photographic career began in 1978, when she took a series of photos of a group of stripte ...

Bernar Venet Bernar Venet (born 20 April 1941) is a French conceptual artist. He was the 2016 recipient of the International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement Award. Early life Bernar Venet was born to Jean-Marie Venet, a school teacher and chemist ...

Huang Yong Ping Huáng Yǒng Pīng (; February 18, 1954 – October 20, 2019) was a Chinese-French contemporary artist and one of the most well known Chinese avant-garde artists of his time. Born in Xiamen, he was recognized as the most controversial and provoca ...

Pedagogy

The ancient charts

Deyrolle is well known for its pedagogical charts. It all starts around 1871, when

Emile Deyrolle Emile or Émile may refer to: * Émile (novel) (1827), autobiographical novel based on Emile de Girardin, Émile de Girardin's early life * Emile (film), Emile, Canadian film made in 2003 by Carl Bessai * ''Emile, or On Education, Emile: or, On Ed ...

developed everything that concerns the educational material, anatomical models in staff, biology pieces, and most of all, the creation of coloured wall charts, published under the name "Musée scolaire Deyrolle". They are meant to teach the "Leçons de choses" ("Lessons of things") but also

Botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

Zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

Entomology Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

Geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

Anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

Civics In the field of political science, civics is the study of the civil and political rights and obligations of citizens in a society. The term ''civics'' derives from the Latin word ''civicus'', meaning "relating to a citizen". In U.S. politics ...

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

Geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

Mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

, etc. « ''Visual instruction is the least tiring for the mind, but this education can have good results only if the ideas engraved in the children’s mind are rigorously exact.'' »

Émile Deyrolle Émile Deyrolle (1838–1917) was a French naturalist and natural history dealer in Paris. The business was originally owned by his naturalist grandfather, Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle who opened his shop in 1831 at 23, Rue de la Monnaie. Émile’s fa ...

Deyrolle pour l'Avenir

In 2007, Louis Albert de Broglie restarted the publishing activity with the creation of new educational charts addressing contemporary environmental and societal issues. It is the start of a new collection of educational charts published under the name of Deyrolle pour l’Avenir (DPA). There are charts on

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

, etc.

The savoir-faire

Taxidermy

Deyrolle is a reference in the field of taxidermy. We can find birds, beasts and mammals from all over the world. At Deyrolle, with only a few exceptions, no animal was killed to be mounted: the non-domestic species come from zoos, parks, where they died of old age or illness. They are traceable, and protected species are held and delivered in accordance with the Washington Convention (CITES).

Entomology

Deyrolle is also known for its entomological collections. The drawers of the entomological room are filled with colourful butterflies, beetles, and other insects. It is possible to see the experts of the entomology team working on the mounting of insects.

Art

The first aim of Deyrolle was to teach

s to children and students, but Deyrolle was a point of interest also for artists: the surrealists

André Breton André Robert Breton (; ; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') ...

and

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...

, the painters

Jean Dubuffet Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (; 31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French Painting, painter and sculpture, sculptor of the School of Paris, École de Paris (School of Paris). His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called "low art" a ...

and Mathieu, the writers

Louise de Vilmorin Louise most commonly refers to: * Louise (given name) Louise or Luise may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Songs * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 * "Louise", by The Yardbirds from the album '' Five Live Yardbirds'', 1964 * "Louis ...

and

Théodore Monod Théodore André Monod (9 April 1902 – 22 November 2000) was a French naturalist, humanist, scholar and explorer. Exploration Monod was educated at École alsacienne and obtained a doctorate in science from Sorbonne University in 1922.

Raymond Queneau Raymond Auguste Queneau (; ; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo (), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Biography Queneau, the only child of Auguste Que ...

and many others stopped regularly at the shop. Éric Sander or also

Charwei Tsai Charwei Tsai (; ; born 1 October 1980) is a Taiwanese multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan. Biography Tsai was born in 1980 in Taipei, Taiwan. She attended Taipei American School in Taipei, and Stevenson School in Pebb ...

was exhibited at Deyrolle.

Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...

used the rooms of Deyrolle in July 2010 for his movie ''

Midnight in Paris ''Midnight in Paris'' is a 2011 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter and aspiring novelist, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationsh ...

'', and

Wes Anderson Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. Wes Anderson filmography, His films are known for themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Due to his films' eccentricity, distinctive visual and narrative ...

is a huge fan of the shop. Deyrolle also develops collaborations with artists, such as Aurèle and

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and art collector. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest ...

Music

In 2005, French singer

Nolwenn Leroy Nolwenn Le Magueresse (; born 28 September 1982), known by her stage name Nolwenn Leroy (), is a French singer-songwriter and actress. Originally classically trained (violin and opera singing), she rose to fame after winning the second season o ...

shot the artwork for her album '' Histoires Naturelles'' at Deyrolle, as well as the music video for the single "Histoire Naturelle".

Exhibitions

Some exhibitions: * Takeshi Shikama, « Garden of Memory : Animals and Plants » for Festival Photo Saint Germain 2015. * Jonathan F.Kugel brings three artists together in « Trophies »: James Webster, Dan Glasser, Juliette Seydoux, inspired by the rhinos condition. (2015) * Camille Renversade, « Histoires surnaturelles » *

, Le Cabinet de Curiosités, « Signification (Hope, Immortality and Death in Paris, Now and Then) » (2014) * Alain Fouray, « Panache » (2014) * Caroline Rennequin, « Cheptel des vanités » (2014) * Jean-Luc Maniouloux, « Impacts » (2012) * Louis de Torhout, « Cires Botaniques : l’Art et la matière » (2012)

References

External links

Deyrolle by New York Times

Animal House by Vanity Fair

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{{coord, 48.85654, N, 2.32646, E, display=title Natural history societies Entomology Taxidermy Pedagogy Buildings and structures in the 7th arrondissement of Paris 1831 establishments in France