Inside Deyrolle

CABINETS OF CURIOSITIES

The dawn of the nineteenth century is considered the golden age of natural science. It was at this time, while museums sought to enrich their collections under the impetus of the Museum of Natural History of Paris, that Deyrolle is born.

At first Cabinets of Curiosities was considered as the preserve of enlightened and curious scholars who collect all kinds of objects. Over time, guided by the emergence of a scientific spirit, specialised collections and a wider audience, The Cabinets of Curiosities played a major role in the circulation of knowledge and ideas. They became transgenerational and educational. Deyrolle is part of this philosophy: a place of education and cascading knowledge through three fields: Nature. Art. Education.

A UNIQUE STORY

With a keen interest in entomology, Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle, taxidermist at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Lille founded this unique house in Paris in 1831. His son Achille quickly took over. Having the same passion for entomology, they developed a flourishing trade based on the sale of insects and materials from the Natural History collections, while developing the activity of taxidermy.

In 1866, Achille's heir, Emile Deyrolle took over the house, founded by his grandfather. It was the beginning of a new chapter, during this period, Natural history was very popular; the collection and observation of insects encountered a wide success and entomology companies were created all over Europe. Emile Deyrolle continued developing the craft insect and taxidermy collecting. He was also dedicated to publishing specialised books about fauna and flora, journals L'Acclimatation, Le Naturaliste ..., designing anatomy and botany models, biology and osteology pieces, scientific instruments, school furniture.

Deyrolle became the first supplier of Public Instruction, now known as the Department of Education. Under the name of "Musée scolaire Deyrolle", the house published an edition of coloured pedagogical wall charts.

“EDUCATION BY THE EYES IS THE LESS TIRESOME FOR THE MIND. HOWEVER, THIS EDUCATION CAN ONLY BEAR ITS FRUITS IF THE DESCRIBED MATERIALS IS PERFECTLY ACCURATE.”ÉMILE DEYROLLE

DEYROLLE FOR THE FUTURE

A new collection of educational charts was launched in 2007  now under the name Deyrolle pour l’Avenir (DPA) –‘Deyrolle for the future’ in English, a series of pedagogical charts which tackles contemporary environmental and societal issues. Deyrolle is an official partner of the COP 21 for education and organises exhibitions at the Pont d’Iéna and UNESCO.

As Louis Albert de Broglie, owner of Deyrolle, put it so well: "Deyrolle’s mission was to explain the Earth to people. Now we have to explain how to preserve it”.

Deyrolle's project now bear a committed eye on its three fields of activities - Nature Art Education: to draw inspiration from Nature, to enhance its beauty through Art and to transmit to people through Education.

Visit 46, Rue du Bac, Paris 7th arrondissement to discover this world-renowned institution. 

L'ARTISAN PARFUMEUR X DEYROLLE

L'Artisan Parfumeur’s La Botanique collection celebrates nature in its most abstract and mysterious forms.  It brings to life a reimagined, sublimed nature. The perfume house, founded by Jean Laporte, has called upon the bicentennial Parisian cabinet of curiosities Deyrolle, to make its inspirations and daydreams come to life. The collaboration between Deyrolle and L'Artisan Parfumeur intends to enrich the harmony between an illustrated and a fantasised nature.

An invitation to explore six mysterious olfactory promenades, it honours the fertility of the imagination and aspires to magnify the senses that gravitate towards meaning. The Latin names echo botany, and each fragrance in this collection carries, with its name, a number. This corresponds to the number of edits that were made to the original formula to achieve the final fragrance. Varying from 2 to 60, the low numbers illustrate the trust that unites L'Artisan Parfumeur and the nose Daphné Bugey. Discover the collection here.

“OBSERVE, UNDERSTAND, LEARN, DREAM, WALK; PRESERVE, TRANSMIT FOR THE FUTURE.”Prince Louis Albert de Broglie, owner of Deyrolle

Discover the educational charts we have used for the collaboration