At the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lons-le-Saunier, discover a herbarium of 3,020 specimens, either independently or at presentations at 14:30.
About this event in the Jura in Lons-le-Saunier
Discover a herbarium of 3,020 specimens
At the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lons-le-Saunier, the event “Collecting secrets: the herbarium of Antoine François Xavier Thaiffait” explores a collection assembled in Lyon between 1835 and the 1850s. Antoine François Xavier Thiaffait gathered 3,020 plant specimens, generally in very good condition.
This herbarium forms part of the significant growth in natural history collections from the late 18th century onwards, particularly with the emergence of amateur botanists. It offers an opportunity to explore both the origins of the specimens and the way they were organised.
Wild and cultivated plants, arranged in 36 volumes
The collection includes wild specimens, mainly from the Lyon region, Savoie and the Jura. Others come from cultivated plants, notably at the Jardin botanique de Lyon and in private gardens.
The specimens are arranged in 36 volumes, in the form of card folders with flaps. To classify them, Thiaffait used the method established by Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle in 1813. The physical organisation of the herbarium and its classification are therefore among the aspects presented in this exploration of the collection.
Digitisation recently completed
The herbarium has just been digitised. Making it available on the national Joconde and E-ReColnat databases will give the public access to it. Researchers will also be able to consult the specimens for use in their research programmes once the collection is available on these databases.
Guided presentations and independent visits
To find out more about this herbarium, guided presentations are offered at 14:30:
- Sunday 4 October;
- Wednesday 7 October;
- Sunday 1 November;
- Wednesday 4 November.
You can also visit independently throughout the month, free with a museum admission ticket.