Historical museums are a current subject in today's academic scenery in France. Two conferences on historical museums which took place by the end of 1996, as well as the reopening of the historical galleries at Versailles Museum early in 1997 show a growing interest in this sort of museum. This article reports the development of museums in France, since the early form of the Museum 01 French monuments, during the French Revolution until the publication, in september 1996, of a Guide to museums and historical collections in France. The A. tries to make clear the changes experienced by these institutions since last century, and to sum up the main arguments around the theme which, alter ali, goes beyond the French and European contexts.
History museum; XIX (th-century); History museums; History; Public