Lecture Series: The Making of the Great Museums of Paris—From 1900 Until Today
with Russell Kelley
Following our previous Zoom series during the winter of 2024 tracing the history and heritage of the extraordinary
museums that
were established in Paris starting during the Revolution and continuing through the end of the 19th century, we continue the story over
the past 125 years with, after an introductory lecture,
presentations by the curators and directors of a “house museum”, a “Presidential museum”, a “private
museum”,
and a brand-new museum still in the making.
This series will begin on Thursday, January 15 at 12:00 p.m. CST in Chicago/1:00 p.m. EST in Miami/7:00 p.m. CET in Paris, and will
continue for the following four Thursdays at the same time.
Guests may register for either individual lectures at $10 for AFMM or AF-Chicago Members/$20 for Non-Members, or for the entire series of
five lectures at $40 for Members/$80 for Non-Members.
Guests will receive a recording of all lectures for which they are registered afterward.
FULL SERIES | The Making of the Great Museums of Paris
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Zoom Webinar
$80.00 USD
This new webinar series continues our Winter 2024 exploration of Paris’s museums, focusing on their evolution over the past 125 years.
Through an introductory lecture and talks by museum curators and directors, we’ll explore a house museum, a presidential museum, a private museum, and a brand-new museum still in the making. Lectures will take place Thursdays at 1:00 PM, from January 15 to February
12.
#1 | Introduction to the Great Museums of Paris Since 1900
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
Russell Kelley will set the stage for the museums founded in Paris since the turn of the 20th century, and especially since the beginning of the Fifth Republic in 1958, introducing the four museums that will be the subject of individual lectures in this
series, among many others, and highlighting the major trends in museums over the past 125 years.
#2 | The Making & Remaking of the Nissim de Camondo Museum
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
Ariane James-Sarazin will tell the story of the banker Moïse de Camondo and the hôtel particulier he
built next to the Parc Monceau between 1911 and 1914 to display his collection of French decorative art from the second half of the 18th
century. Upon the death of Moïse de Camondo in 1935, both the hôtel particulier and its collections were bequeathed to
the Museum of Decorative Arts in honor of his son, Nissim de Camondo, who had been killed in action during World War I. The hôtel
particulier opened
as a house museum in 1936.
#3 | The Making & Remaking of the Louvre Museum
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
What is the most iconic monument in Paris?
The Louvre stands out as a symbol of Paris’s history, evolving from a medieval fortress into the world’s largest museum. From royal palace
to revolutionary museum and modern landmark crowned by I. M. Pei’s Pyramid, the Louvre embodies more than eight centuries of constant
transformation.
#4 | The Making & Remaking of the Fondation Cartier
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
Béatrice Grenier will explain how the programming and collection of the Fondation Cartier Pour l’Art Contemporain has
evolved since it first opened in Jouy-en-Josas in 1984 as the first major art museum in France created by a private foundation;
then moved to the glass building on Boulevard Raspail designed by architect Jean Nouvel in 1994; and moved again on October 25, 2025, to the
building on Place du Palais Royal next to the Louvre formerly occupied by Louvre des Antiquaires and renovated by Jean Nouvel.
#5 | La création du Musée du Grand Siècle
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
Alexandre Gady décrira les nombreuses étapes de la création d’un musée entièrement nouveau, le Musée du
Grand Siècle—le
XVIIe siècle de Louis XIII et Louis XIV—dont l’ouverture est prévue fin 2027 : la constitution de sa collection, la construction du
bâtiment pour l’exposer, le recrutement d’une équipe de conservateurs et autres professionnels pour gérer sa collection et organiser sa
programmation ainsi que le financement d’un projet aussi ambitieux. Lecture in French with English subtitles
About the Series Curator & Moderator
Russell Kelley
Russell Kelley was the curator and moderator of the past five winters’ Zoom lecture series on the HIstory and
Heritage of France featuring the “Grands Châteaux of the Loire and Île de France”, “The Making of the French Garden”, “The Great Churches of
Paris”, “The Making of the Great Museums of Paris - From the Revolution Until 1900”, and “World Monuments in Paris”. He is the author
of The Making of Paris: The Story of How Paris Evolved from a Fishing Village into the World’s Most Beautiful City (Lyons
Press, 2021) and Walking Through the Ages of Paris - Ten Historical Walking Tours Through the City of Light (Lyons Press,
to be published in 2026), and has lived in Paris for more than 30 years.
Meet the Lecturers
Russell KelleyCurator and moderator of the past five winter Zoom lecture series on the history and heritage of France. He is the author of The Making of Paris (Lyons Press, 2021) and Walking Through the Ages of Paris (Lyons Press, forthcoming 2026), and has lived in Paris for over 30 years.
Ariane James-SarazinChief Curator of 17th and 18th Century Decorative Arts at the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Collections of the Nissim de Camondo Museum.
Béatrice GrenierDirector of Strategic Projects and International Programs at the Fondation Cartier.
Alexandre Gady Directeur de la mission de préfiguration du futur Musée du grand siècle.
