PRESENTATION OF MUSEE CROZATIER

Room FALCON (N° 8 on the first floor): Lace hand gallery.

In 1854, a manufacturer of laces known of Puy-in-Velay, Theodore Falcon, creates his sums of money with the Museum of Puy, a gallery only devoted to lace, first realization of this kind in France.

With the death of Theodore in 1856, his husban César, lacemaker also, continue the work undertaken with the Museum of which it is at the same time preserving and benefactor to him.

Thus the center dentellier of Le Puy, most significant of France by the number of the workers, (80.000 at the time of its prosperity) will have a lace museum worthy of its importance.

Many donnateurs enrich the collections: the Academic Company of Puy, the Falcon family, the R.P. Fita, M.M. Balme Bérard-White, Chastel-Gravel, Robert-Faure, Louis Oudin and much of others still whose names are reproduced on the windows of the exposed objects.

Sight partial of the Falcon room.	Many samples appear in these revolving panels, going back to 1833 to 1844. They represent various types of lace to the spindles in linen thread but also a large variety of funds.

You will start with the origin of lace, i.e. the lace the needle-point with this tablecloth with multiple squares at the cut points and points of Venice (16th), then by another point of Venice with reliefs this time known as "Points with the pink" (17th), to arrive at the splendid laces of silk, called "Blonde" (manufacture of Puy about 1860-1870) with a curious basic mixture clearly and of cloth.

In this window, you will recognize of course chantilly (sunshade chantilly lace Puy 1860), but also of the wool lace samples of color (manufacture Falcon 1855-1860).	Another sunshade, with the spindles and decorated points with the needle (Puy about 1840).	Window dedicated to the lacemaker: swell of taken care of the 19th century, guéridon in beech, chairs of lacemakers of 18th, gone back to 1712, oil lamp.

As usual, for the museums, you have only one very small outline of what you will be able to see whether you move.  Of all the museums that I presented to you, it is really most complete in lace, to give you an idea we passed more than two hours only in the room Falcon and I am sure that we do not have all considering. However, dispatch, this exposure is permanent for the moment. Large alteration work will be completed in 2005. In order to preserve them, part of laces will then be preserved safe from the light. You will find all the co-ordinates as well as the cover of the superb book "lace, of manufactures to the museums" in the new page.