It all started with an archive collection! A ‘set of documents […] produced or received by any individual or legal entity and by any public or private service or organisation in the course of their activities’ (Article L211-1 amended by Law No. 2016-925 of 7 July 2016 – Art. 59).
During her forty-year career with the French Polar Expeditions, a woman named Simone Weiller accumulated numerous valuable documents. These letters, photographs and other administrative papers tell the private story of this Institution, which was founded and made famous by the polar explorer Paul-Émile Victor.
After being discovered by members of her family following her passing, the collection will be donated to the National Archives in order to preserve and showcase this heritage. It was also with this in mind that the exhibition France in Antarctica was designed by the LSCE, which conducts research on polar regions, particularly Antarctica.
The history presented in the Lumen exhibition hall follows a thematic journey focusing on documents dating mainly from 1947 to 1987.
The exhibition is organised into twelve themes:
1. Simone Weiller
2. The French polar exhibition
3. Antarctica
4. Dumont d’Urville station
5. Preparing the expeditions
6. Journey to Antarctica
7. To live in Antarctica
8. Communication
9. The science at the Dumont d’Urville station
10. Jobs
11. Raids
12. And today
The Simone Weiller collection will be transferred to the National Archives (Pierrefitte-sur-Seine site) after the exhibition, under the continuous reference number 20250382. The classification and detailed inventory will be available online.
Départ de l’expédition S3 de l’AGI, 31 octobre 1957 © Franc-Tireur