Fort de la Pompelle (2024 Marty)

[Khukri]

The Friese collection was magnificent.
After being bequeathed to Reims, this collection was ‘manipulated’ by a criminal gang, who, under the pretext of cleaning and correcting the helmets, made ‘reproductions’ of rare plaques, eagles from the Royal Guard, Saxon Reiter lions, etc. These reproductions were then exchanged for the originals... and the helmets were returned to the museum curator, who was completely unaware of what had happened. This was around 1975-80.
When I was young, I saw the Friese collection intact. After that, I went to see it about every 10 years. Each time the exhibition is rearranged, there are fewer pieces on display... If the missing items are in storage, everything is fine... But???
Regarding French museums, I miss the old formats that displayed uniforms and weapons, trench scenes, cania, scenes, Feldlazareths, etc.
Currently, there are very few objects and uniforms, but wargames for children, cinemas, and other videos that can be watched in your living room on history channels!
For example, Péronne (WWI), Caen (WWII), etc., large spaces... empty or almost empty.
Fortunately, in Meaux (Jean-Pierre Verney collection), there are thousands of objects, hundreds of uniforms, a Renault FT tank, a horse-drawn ambulance, a German field ambulance, a French field ambulance, an airplane... at least... Tangible, real, period pieces, historical artifacts... no virtual, digitized, 3D images...


I'm going back at the end of the month to see the two private museums (owned by David B.): La Targette and Notre-Dame de Lorette. They're closing on December 31st and will disappear. David tried to sell his incredible collection to regional cultural institutions, which snubbed it... for lack of funds. Some Americans have already bought a 75mm cannon and other items. These collections will probably be dispersed at auction... to the delight of:
---auctioneers.
---dealers.
---collectors.

That's the silver lining.

The public will still be able to watch films like "Apocalypse La Somme" or "Apocalypse Verdun" at the Lorette Memorial.

So sad! ...And yes Meaux is excellent!

 

[JPT]

First, all credits to Tony V cause he did an amazing job introducing the full Pompelle new style.
Hereby some extra photos, containing details I like: the soccer-pickelhaube, waterloo-scrolls,….
Thoughs about Before/After Renovation: Ok, less items to see but I do prefer the new style in general.
It’s cleaner, brighter and you have a better and closer look at the pickelhaubes in detail.
Concerning the ‘mass table overview display’,.... okay no tags but as for me, is perhaps the best solution,
as less headgear would be displayed at final renovation.
Finally, the aim of Pompelle is to attract as many visitors as possible: pickelheads AND pickeldummies as well .
Pompelle have succeeded to transform the old dark/dated museum into todays visit standards.
(my humble opinion).

Sorry but I completely disagree.
When I was 17, I used to ride my moped from Sedan (08) to Fort de la Pompelle (115 km) to see the old display: No mixing of styles, few helmets hidden away or miraculously vanished, no restoration by the gang of helmet varnishers and Wappen counterfeiters, all the essential legends present, without errors or mix-ups, no unnecessary embellishments... It was the benchmark...

 

[coert65]

Sorry but I completely disagree.
When I was 17, I used to ride my moped from Sedan (08) to Fort de la Pompelle (115 km) to see the old display: No mixing of styles, few helmets hidden away or miraculously vanished, no restoration by the gang of helmet varnishers and Wappen counterfeiters, all the essential legends present, without errors or mix-ups, no unnecessary embellishments... It was the benchmark...

I agree with you, I saw the Friesé collection at Fort de la Pompelle for the first time in 1991, I really liked it that way better than it is now.