The Mucem Archives
The Mucem archives contain nearly one linear kilometer of paper documents, a collection of more than 100,000 postcards, 79,000 sound recordings, and nearly 4 TB of audiovisual recordings. These collections are divided between public and private archives. Here’s how to navigate them!
The museum’s public collections should be viewed in the context of the institution’s history. In fact, our archival collections contain documents from both the Mucem and the MNATP. Officially established in 2005, the Mucem is the successor to the former National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions (MNATP), part of whose archives were transferred to the National Archives (AN).
Any research covering the 2005–2013 period must therefore be conducted using both the National Archives (AN) and Mucem inventories. To make these more accessible to researchers, we have chosen to present the two classification frameworks we developed, specifying where the documents can be consulted (AN in Paris or Mucem in Marseille).
Numerous private collections, whose themes align with the museum’s main areas of research, complement the public collections: For example, there are collections related to folklore and regionalism, anthropology and ethnography, ethnomusicology, the circus and the performing arts, agriculture and industry, crafts and commerce, and so on. But there are also family archives, artists’ collections, and many other collections.
A long tradition of collecting and producing audiovisual and audio materials has led to the creation of a remarkable collection. Although the physical media were also transferred to the National Archives (AN), the MNATP’s collections are nevertheless available at the Mucem in digital format. As for Mucem’s recent productions, they are now cataloged either in private collections or in public collections, depending on their original provenance.
Terms of Use
To ensure we can welcome you under the best possible conditions, we invite you to plan your visit by contacting the museum’s archivists in advance via email at reservationccr@mucem.org.
Collection life
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Surveys and Data Collection
What is it?
The collection of contemporary artifacts draws its methodology from ethnographic fieldwork. The process involves observing a social phenomenon and gathering objects and testimonies directly in the field, which—if appropriate—will be added to the museum’s collection after selection. The objects are thus contextualized through documentation that combines field collection materials (interviews, field notes, primary data), descriptions and analyses of the sources, and explanations of the research process and its objectives.
History of the Collections
Although the Mucem opened in Marseille in 2013, its origins actually date back to the 19th century. Today, it manages a diverse and unique collection, comprising more than 250,000 objects, 350,000 photographs, 200,000 posters, prints, and postcards, and 150,000 books, which it continues to expand through an acquisition policy focused on Mediterranean themes, ranging from the Neolithic period to contemporary art.
Loan Request and Work Submission
The Mucem holds more than 250,000 French and European ethnographic objects, 350,000 photographs, 100,000 posters and prints, 100,000 postcards, and 80,000 audio recordings covering a wide range of themes and fields. The Mucem provides access to information from its collection management databases, archives, and library through the portal lescollections.mucem.org.
You may contact the scientific directorate to clarify your inquiry before submitting any official loan request.