Muséum de Toulouse

The museum was founded in 1796 by the naturalist Philippe-Isidore Picot de Lapeyrouse, with his collections being able to be housed (after the revolution) in the former Carmelite monastery in Toulouse.{{cite web|url=https://www.museum.toulouse.fr/histoire-du-museum|language=fr|publisher=Muséum de Toulouse|title=Quelques dates de l'histoire du Muséum...|access-date=30 May 2018|archive-date=8 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308112648/https://www.museum.toulouse.fr/histoire-du-museum|url-status=dead}}

In 1808, the emperor Napoleon formally gifted all the Carmelite buildings and land to the city of Toulouse, and in 1865,

the museum was opened to the public in its present location and under the directorship of Édouard Filhol. Toulouse museum was the first museum in the world to open a gallery of prehistory thanks to the collection of the malacologist Alfred de Candie de Saint-Simon{{cite news|work=L'Auta|number=431|date=October 1977|pages=218–227|location=Toulouse, France|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9606741g/f9.image|title=Excursion à Saint Simon au site de Candie|language=fr|last=Camboulives|first=Roger|access-date=12 September 2020}} (1731–1851), and the collaboration of Émile Cartailhac, Jean-Baptiste Noulet, and Eugène Trutat.Le Muséum de Toulouse et l'invention de la préhistoire, 2010 {{ISBN|978-2-906702-18-9}}.

In 1887 (on the occasion of a world exposition in Toulouse), the botanical gardens of the University of Toulouse became part of the museum.

In 2008, the museum reopened in its present form (as of May 2018) with the renovations and extensions of the museum,{{Cite web |title=" Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle : rapport de fouilles " |url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdolia.inrap.fr%2Fflora%2Fark%3A%2F64298%2F012771}} designed by the architectural firm of Jean-Paul Viguier,{{cite web |url=http://www.viguier.com/en/project/13/natural-history-museum-renovation-and-extension |title=Jean-Paul Viguier et Associés: Muséum de Toulouse |access-date=2018-05-30 |archive-date=2018-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823111616/http://viguier.com/en/project/13/natural-history-museum-renovation-and-extension |url-status=dead }} having been completed.

The permanent exhibition has five linked themes:

• Sequence 1: Feeling the Earth's power.

Nature of the Solar System and its formation. Nature of the Earth – plate tectonics, seismic and volcanic activity and erosion, petrology and mineralogy.

• Sequence 2: Doing away with our notions of hierarchy.

The nature of life – biodiversity, classification, and organization.

• Sequence 3: Getting to grips with the huge scale.

Earth history from 3.8 billion years ago. Introduces time, palaeontology and the evolution of life

• Sequence 4: Admitting the obvious.

The main functions of living beings – feeding, respiration, locomotion, reproduction, protection and communication.

• Sequence 5: Inventing the future.

The impact of human activity – demographic pressure on ecosystems and natural resources

File:MHNT - Themes-1.jpg

File:MHNT - Themes-2.jpg

File:MHNT - Themes-3.jpg

File:MHNT - Themes-4.jpg

File:MHNT - Themes-5.jpg

File:MHNT - Themes-6.jpg

File:MHNT - Themes-7.jpg

File:MHNT - Themes-8.jpg

This section presents examples to illustrate the content of each different collection of the Museum de Toulouse.

The prehistoric collection includes mostly artefacts excavated in France. They also contain comparative material from other parts of Europe and other continents. Notable collectors include Édouard Harlé (1850–1922), Antoine Meillet (1866–1936), Alexis Damour (1808–1902), Félix Regnault (1847–1908), Louis Péringuey (1855–1924), Émile Cartailhac (1845–1921), Daniel Bugnicourt, Edward John Dunn (1844–1937), Henri Breuil (1877–1961), and Louis Lartet (1840–1899), as well as the curators Jean-Baptiste Noulet (1802–1890), Eugène Trutat (1840–1910), and Édouard Filhol (1814–1883).

Image:Sépulture de Teviec Global.jpg|{{center|Mesolithic tomb from Téviec, Brittany}}

Image:Diorite-Reims-Damour 2.jpg|{{center|Polished Neolithic axe from Reims France – Alexis Damour collection}}

Image:Hache_Plagne_Global.jpg|{{center|Polished Neolithic axe from Plagne Haute-Garonne collection Félix Régnault collection}}

Image:Collier de Penne.jpg|{{center|Bronze bead necklace Holocene Bronze Age Jean-Baptiste Noulet collection}}

• The herbarium contains historic specimens collected by Benjamin Balansa (1825–1891).

File:Entada phaseoloides MHNT.BOT.2007.26.55.jpg|{{center|Entada phaseoloides – fruit}}

File:Luffa aegyptiaca MHNT.BOT.2007.26.52.jpg|{{center|Luffa aegyptiaca – fibrous skeleton}}

File:Cassia fistula MHNT.BOT.2007.26.54.jpg|{{center|Cassia fistula – ripe fruit}}

File:Cerapterus pilipennis (Male).jpg|{{center|Cerapterus pilipennis - Zambia}}

File:Chrysochroa_rajah_thailandica_MHNT.ZOO.2004.0.520.jpg|{{center|Chrysochroa rajah thailandica - Chiang Mai, Thailand}}

File:Hiperantha testacea MHNT.ZOO.2004.0.561.jpg|{{center|Hiperantha testacea
Bupestrid from Colombia}}

File:Metaxymorpha gloriosa MHNT.ZOO.2004.0.535.jpg|{{center|Metaxymorpha gloriosa Bupestrid from North Queensland, Australia}}

File:Historis odius.jpg|{{center|Historis odius - Colombia}}

File:Charaxes varanes vologeses (Mâle).jpg|{{center|Charaxes varanes vologeses - Malawi}}

File:Morpho menelaus didius Male MHNT.jpg|{{center|Morpho didius - Peru}}

File:Prepona licomedes Bresil Global.jpg|{{center|Archaeoprepona licomedes - Brazil}}

File:Oedipoda caerulescens MHNT.jpg|{{center|Oedipoda caerulescens - Etang de la Maourine Toulouse}}

File:Titanacris Albipes Vol.jpg|{{center|Titanacris albipes- French Guiana}}

File:Porphyromma speciosa MHNT.jpg|{{center|Porphyromma speciosa-French Guiana}}

File:Celestite MHNT.MIN.1998.252.jpg|{{center|Celestine - Turkmenistan}}

File:Fluorine Peyrebrun.jpg|{{center|Fluorite - France}}

File:Népouite MHNT.MIN.2005.0.63.jpg|{{center|Nepouite - New Caledonia}}

File:Scheelite MHNT.MIN.2004.0.88 (p).jpg|{{center|Scheelite - China}}

File:Blende MHNT.MIN.1998.81.jpg|{{center|Sphalerite - Roumania}}

• The bird collection of MHNT contains more than 30,000 specimens, of which 20,000 are eggs. About 8,500 bird mounts and 1,500 scientific bird skins are included. Other bird items are around 2,000 skeletons and skulls and 5,300 eggs. The collection focuses on Europe (especially France), but the collection also has exotic species . Most are documented on card or computer systems.
• The bird mount collection of Victor Besaucèle, with 5,000 specimens, is one of the most important historic collections in Europe.
• Other collectors represented are R. Bourret, G. Cossaune, M. Gourdon, Hammonville, A. Lacroix, and Reboussin.

File:Harfang des neiges MHNT.jpg|{{center|Snowy owl: The oldest mount in the museum, collected by Mr Dode in 1807}}

File:Mino dumontii - MHNT STV 2002 1.jpg|{{center|Yellow-faced myna}}

File:Semnornis_ramphastinus_-_MHNT_PIC_2004_1.jpg|{{center|Toucan barbet}}

• The egg collection of Jacques Perrin de Brichambaut (1920–2007) was acquired in 2010. It contains his personal collections, supplemented by those of other ornithologists, notably Georges Guichard, Henri Heim de Balsac, and Rene de Naurois. It includes all the Palearctic species (Europe, North Africa, and Asia), about 1,000 species and nearly 15,000 eggs, and is one of the most complete and best-documented palearctic egg collections in Europe.

File:Aigle d'Australie MHNT.jpg|Egg of wedge-tailed eagle

File:Aigrette garzette MHNT.jpg|Egg of little egret

File:Pintade de Numidie MHNT.jpg|Egg of helmeted guineafowl

File:Pétrel géant MHNT.jpg|Egg of southern giant petrel

File:Delichon urbicum MHNT.jpg|Nest of common house martin

File:Pigeon migrateur MHNT.jpg|Egg of passenger pigeon

File:Taupe MHNT.OST.1997.45.jpg|{{center|European mole}}

File:Avahi 5 face noir.jpg|{{center|Eastern woolly lemur}}

File:Alouatta seniculus 5perspective.jpg|{{center|Red howler monkey}}

File:Cynocephalus Perspective.jpg|{{center|Yellow baboon}}

The specimens of the collection of paleontology amount to tens of thousands. They date from the Paleoarchean to the Eocene.

The invertebrates room was named Saint-Simon in honor to the collection of the malacologist Alfred de Candie de Saint-Simon, presented during the museum opening exhibit in 1865, under the directorship of Édouard Filhol.

Image:Stromatolithe_Paléoarchéen_-_MNHT.PAL.2009.10.1.jpg|{{center|One of the oldest life forms, a Stromatolite of Paleoarchean age – 3, 600 to 3, 200 million years ago (Mya)}}

Image:Pseudoasaphus praecurrens MHNT.PAL.2003.439.jpg|{{center|Trilobite of Middle Ordovician – 468 to 460 Mya}}

Image:Coelodonta antiquitatis .jpg|{{center|Woolly rhinoceros complete skeleton of Pleistocene age – 370, 000 to 10, 000 years ago}}

Image:Coelodonta antiquitatis Crane.jpg|{{center|Woolly rhinoceros, complete skull}}

File:Flickr - Wikimedia France - machoire ours-a.jpg|{{center|Cave bear mandible of Pleistocene age}}

Image:MHNT Jardin Henri Gaussen.jpg

{{main|Jardin botanique Henri Gaussen}}

Henri Gaussen was a Toulouse-based phytogeographer and botanist. The botanic garden which honours his name is attached to the museum and is part of the Earth and Life Science Research and Training Paul Sabatier University. A second botanical area, The Museum Gardens, extends over 3 hectares. It is notable for "potagers du monde" (vegetable gardens of the world) and a "shade house" which recreates the conditions required by shade plants.

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website}} {{in lang|fr}}
• François Bon, Sébastien Dubois, Marie-Dominique Labails, 2010. Le Muséum de Toulouse et l'invention de la préhistoire Toulouse Editions Muséum de Toulouse {{ISBN|978-2-906702-18-9}}
• Part of this article is a translation of (or greatly inspired by) the French Wikipedia's article (see the list of [http://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php? title=Mus%C3%A9um_de_Toulouse&action=history authors])

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Category:Museums in Toulouse

Category:Natural history museums in France

Category:Museums established in 1796

Category:1796 establishments in France

category:Fossil museums in France