Museum with audiovisual presentation on cotton printing
In the 18th century, Christophe Philippe Oberkampf founded the first factory in Jouy-en-Josas to manufacture printed cloth using engraved copper plates. This enabled him to dominate the French market for indiennes (printed fabrics), making his factory one of the largest in Europe. Jouy, where the River Bièvre flows, was chosen for the abundance and quality of its water. Production began in 1760, in the small house on the Pont de Pierre. However, the large workshop closed its doors in 1843. Jouy grew into a town that would have been ruined by the factory's closure, had it not been for a taste for vacationing that attracted a new population in the mid-19th century. Oberkampf, the village's first mayor, welcomed famous guests to his home: the papal nuncio, the empresses Josephine and Marie-Louise, as well as the great scientists Monge, Laplace, Chaptal and Gay-Lussac, all interested in the chemistry employed by the factory.
The permanent exhibition takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the history of the technique and the evolution of taste behind toile de Jouy, and its many decorative and clothing uses. The museum also features an audiovisual presentation on cotton printing. The visit ends in the large boutique, stocked with products sewn in toile de Jouy, signed by artisanal brands who are revisiting this great classic in a contemporary style. Children's workshops and conferences are also organized.
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Parfait pour illustrer le cours d'histoire sociale et histoire industrielle du XIXème siècle.