Collection

Cabinet de curiosités

Châtillonnais, an Open-Air Cabinet of Curiosities

A land of forested plateaux, valleys, and springs, the Châtillonnais region is rich in natural contrasts. Located between the Rhône and Seine river corridors, it has long been a crossroads.

This collection of over 200 taxidermy birds, displayed in a cabinet-of-curiosities setting, invites visitors to explore both the region’s natural and social heritage. Through the birds, we glimpse the lives of 19th-century farmers rooted in their land, forest dwellers—poor and free—and the urban bourgeois known as the "Messieurs."
Jeune fille et moutons, F. Chaigneau, 19e siècle, Huile sur toile

A Walk in the Countryside

Before mechanization and chemical agriculture enabled large-scale cereal farming, small family farms practiced mixed farming with livestock. Everyone worked, including children, who often tended sheep and cattle.

After adolescence, boys left for military service, while girls trained with seamstresses. They later returned home to marry and settle permanently in their village.
Though often seen as inward-looking, the Châtillonnais was also a land of passage and welcome. Seasonal farm workers came from Belgium and Poland; shepherds from Austria, and later Switzerland. Remote forest-edge farms were run by Belgians, Luxembourgers, and people from Lorraine and Alsace.

These populations brought valuable skills that helped modernize local farming practices.
Louis Desliens (1879-1975)

Louis Desliens, a veterinarian from Châtillon-sur-Seine, was a pioneer in equine medicine and veterinary science. He developed surgical techniques and conducted research on blood transfusions and pressure, leading to the invention of the Louis Desliens hemodynamometer, later commercialized by Splenger.

His grandson Michel Desliens, also a veterinarian, donated a large collection of instruments to the museum—reminding us that veterinary science first served working animals in agriculture and transport.
A Walk in the Forest

In the 19th century, the forest was a populated environment where a mosaic of activities took place. Lumberjacks “baraqued” in the clearings, and charcoal burners “raised” their kilns. Clog makers practiced their craft right in the village square, hoop makers cut hazel branches to “make hoops for barrels” or “ties for the harvest” (Petot, 2002), tanners collected bark, and hunting and gathering continued.

The forest communities absorbed newcomers from Morvan, Auvergne, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, adopting some of their cultural practices. The forest thus served as an open gateway to the outside world.

Today, the exceptional nature of this forest massif is highlighted by the project to create the “Champagne and Burgundy Forests” national park.
Vue du Pont aux poissons à Châtillon-sur-Seine, Victorine Didier, début 20e siècle, Huile sur toile

A Walk by the Water

The Seine winds along the limestone plateau, fed by its many tributaries. On the right bank, waters from karst networks and small valleys create a floodplain with wet meadows, ideal for cranes and herons.

The ponds of Villiers and Marcenay, once linked to monastic activity and now managed by the Conservatory of Natural Areas of Burgundy, provide shelter and food for many bird species. These natural areas are perfect for birdwatching and walks.
Louis Paul Cailletet (1832-1913)

The first air-liquefying machine is displayed among water birds—a playful nod to the meeting of two usually separate elements: air and water. Louis Paul Cailletet, a brilliant scientist from Châtillon-sur-Seine, invented the air liquefaction process, which laid the foundations for cryogenics. This discovery has led to numerous applications in fields such as food processing, medicine, and rocket propulsion.
Fernand Daguin, le notable et les oiseaux

Bourgeois education opened a window to the world rarely accessible to the less privileged. The large terrestrial globe here was used to teach geography and inspire a love of travel.

Fernand Daguin, a Parisian lawyer with a passion for comparative law, remained deeply connected to Châtillon. As mayor of Chamesson and member of the local historical society, he helped enrich the museum through archaeological work.

This collection of taxidermy birds reflects the interest of a social class eager to preserve their regional heritage.

Well-traveled notables brought back rare and exotic objects, like the piano decorated with Oriental motifs from Algeria, showing their scientific curiosity and fascination with the world.
Bourgeois education offered a window to the world that few people of modest means could access. The terrestrial globe displayed in this room reflects the learning of geography, which could inspire a desire to travel. These large globes were used as educational tools to teach geography through illustration.
Bourgeois education offered a window to the world that few people of modest means could access. The terrestrial globe displayed in this room reflects the learning of geography, which could inspire a desire to travel. These large globes were used as educational tools to teach geography through illustration.
Finally, the presence of the unusual piano decorated with Oriental motifs reflects a taste for travel. Its design is typical of late 19th-century Parisian pianos, commonly found in bourgeois living rooms. It illustrates how a Western object was adapted to suit the Orientalist trend of the time—despite the fact that Arabic music does not traditionally use the piano. Its owner spent part of her life in Algeria with her husband, a lawyer at the Algiers court. A friend of Fernand Daguin, she bequeathed the instrument to the town of Châtillon-sur-Seine.