PHOTOGRAPHIC MUSEUM

Nestled at the end of a quiet pedestrian alleyway, in an attractive ^18th-century house that once belonged to the French botanist and administrator Pierre Poivre, the museum, the synthesis of over 50 years of personal research and investigation, houses an important collection of ^19th- and early ^20th-century cameras, as well as thousands of old photos revealing aspects of Mauritian life in days gone by (old buildings, railroads, scenes of life...). Created in 1966, it is the "passionately furious" work of the late Tristan Bréville (a fierce defender of heritage and the notion of memory in the collective sense of the term) and his wife Marie-Noëlle. Rich in daguerreotypes and autochromes, the place is an essential place of memory, where the most important collection of old postcards and films on Mauritius is also exhibited. It's a veritable institution, which Tristan and Marie-Noëlle have fought for decades to transform into the National Photographic Archives of Mauritius. The battle was won, as the collection is now being archived and a new location will open in the next 2 years to exhibit even more photos, cameras, etc. The rare pieces will still be on display. We'll still be able to see the rare items currently on display, such as this lens made by Charles Chevalier for Jacques Daguerre in 1839, or this very first camera, which, who knows why, was bought by a Mauritian at the time. On-site sale of books, old postcards, photos...