In Lons-le-Saunier, discover Thiaffait's herbarium, its 3,020 specimens and its classification, through a guided presentation or an independent visit.
About this event in the Jura in Lons-le-Saunier
Inside an amateur botanist's collections
At the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lons-le-Saunier, “Secrets of Collecting” offers a guided presentation of Antoine François Xavier Thiaffait's herbarium. This collection reflects the significant growth of natural history collections from the late 18th century onwards, particularly with the emergence of amateur botanists.
Thiaffait assembled his herbarium in Lyon between 1835 and the 1850s. It brings together 3,020 plant specimens, generally in very good condition. The presentation offers a chance to learn more about this collection, its origins and its organisation.
Wild and cultivated plants
The samples do not all come from the same environment. The wild plants come mainly from the Lyon region, Savoie and the Jura. The cultivated plants come notably from the Jardin botanique de Lyon and private gardens.
The collection is divided into 36 volumes, in the form of cardboard folders with flaps. To classify the specimens, Thiaffait followed the method established in 1813 by Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle.
Recent digitisation
The herbarium has recently 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. This access is planned once the collection is available on these databases.
Dates at the museum
The guided presentation is offered on four dates
- Sunday 4 October;
- Wednesday 7 October;
- Sunday 1 November;
- Wednesday 4 November.
An independent visit is also possible throughout the month. It is free with a museum admission ticket.