At the Lyon History Museum, the invisibles of society find their place

The Lyon History Museum is getting a makeover with a new permanent exhibition, “Lyonnais, Lyonnaises”. The story is no longer told chronologically, but thematically to make culture, in all its forms, accessible to all.

Not everyone is a fan of history museums, with extended timelines and a succession of portraits. To attract again this public tired of traditional museums, the Lyon-Gadagne History Museum has decided to reinvent itself. No more linear narrative of the city’s history by chronology, make way for an innovative thematic tour. Its latest exhibition, “Lyonnais, Lyonnaises”, reveals a new era of its permanent collection. This arrangement has sparked criticism, but the museum team does not budge: the ambition is to make history accessible to everyone.

Those responsible for the place have opted for a more playful approach. Workers’ struggles, feminism, the silk trade: everything is rethought with testimonies, inviting the public to touch, see and listen.

A museum for everyone

The museum is nestled in Old Lyon. Every year since 2019, it has offered a new theme, offering an immersive experience over 1,100 square meters divided into eighteen rooms.

From the start, the visitor is taken by the hand and follows the proposed story. As soon as we arrive, we meet six fictional characters representing the diversity of Lyon’s citizens. They embody periods of history, making them closer to us. Traditional portraits depicted with offbeat modern objects guide the visitor throughout the journey. The first exhibition, for example, suggests wearing the traditional Stan Smith.

After exploring the city’s DNA on the first floor, we move on to the second, on the theme of ecology. An essential subject in this city, which has the specificity of the presence of a confluence of two rivers. A story and games illustrated with views of Lyon are proposed to raise awareness of the environment among young audiences.

The third issue concerns industry in Lyon, which is still very present. This third part aims to question young people about working conditions through the ages. It also opens up the field to new, sometimes unknown, opportunities. The exhibition also highlights the production of silk which shaped the luxury industry in the city.

The fourth and final theme of this exhibition, visible since mid-December, concerns commitments in the city. While we deplore the disinterest of young people in civic life, field work has been carried out to demonstrate the opposite. “Living in a city is not just about being part of a geographical area, it’s also about having rights, not feeling like a second-class citizen,” explains Claire Déglise, exhibition manager. Thus, the Gadagne museum route seeks to to restore the place of all the inhabitants of Lyon, from bourgeois circles to the working classes, from the immigrant populations who built the city to today’s leaders. Making each actor in the city visible is the historical challenge of the exhibition.

“Lyon has a reputation as a bourgeois city, always represented in museums with portraits of great elites, but, for once, we involve faces of the working classes. There is a very contemporary side.”

Karine, a visitor

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Other themes are addressed, such as the right of access to education, the Protestant tradition, feminist struggles or the fight against racism. Impossible to leave without having learned anything! For example, did you know that the industrial tribunal was born in Lyon?

Every year, 80,000 people visit the establishment, and it’s not over, since the Gadagne museum is preparing future floors to complete the exhibition. The first will arrive in the fall of 2024 and will be dedicated to the architecture of buildings and the Old Lyon district. Finally, in 2025, the attic (usually closed to the public) will open its doors to reveal a lapidary collection from the Middle Ages. Far from being a simple conservatory, the Gadagne museum stands out as an inclusive place where history is within reach.

“Lyonnais, Lyonnaises” at the Gadagne museum in Lyon. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Prices: 8 and 6 euros. Single ticket allowing access to the Lyon History Museum, the Puppet Arts Museum and temporary exhibitions.