Museum
Report on the museum's acquisitions in 2025
The Pasteur Museum is continuing to add to its collections, reflecting its proactive approach. In 2025, 233 items were added to the museum's collections – some were included in the inventory and others were used to improve our documentation. Stéphanie Colin, Head of Collections, is constantly on the lookout, keeping an eye on auctions and the online market. She also liaises with donors.
The cultural items acquired in 2025 include:
A set of 7 signed handwritten letters from Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) to Émile Duclaux (1840-1904). These letters are particularly valuable because the collection on Émile Duclaux is not yet well developed. The letters, dating from 1866 to 1882, offer an insight into the relationship between the two men.
7 silver prints by René Giton, known as René-Jacques (1928-2003). These prints depict processes and research instruments that were introduced at the Institut Pasteur in the 1940s and 1950s. Some of the prints illustrate the "Panel on the BCG, Prague, in 1949" from the exhibition "Pasteur, his life and work, Palais de la découverte – Series X." The research procedures and instruments are wonderfully illustrated on the various prints.
7 badges for "Pasteur Day," raising money for laboratories. "Pasteur Day" ("Journée Pasteur") was introduced by the French government in 1923 with the twofold aim of boosting the profile of Louis Pasteur and raising money for struggling scientific laboratories. The fundraising part of the initiative was mainly based on selling special badges to the public. To capture public interest, ten famous artists, including Maurice Denis (1870-1943), were commissioned to design the badges, each proposing a symbolic interpretation of Pasteur and his achievements. In its existing collections the museum also has the pastel by Maurice Denis featuring the design of the badge (at the top left of the image).
3 membership cards belonging to Émile Roux (1853-1933). These give us an idea of Dr. Roux's links with other institutions: the Friends of the Paris Natural History Museum Society, the Hygiene and Sanitation Council and the Society of Lifeguards for the Seine.
A set of 27 comics, including a Mexican comic from 1971 on rabies, entitled Vidas Ilustres, El Dr. Pasteur y su lucha contra la muerte.
In 2024, an Acquisitions Committee composed of teams from the CeRIS and the museum was set up to examine possible acquisitions together. The aim of the committee is to avoid decisions being taken in isolation by a single person and ensure that any acquisitions reflect the museum's scientific and cultural aims.
If you are interested in the latest museum news, have any questions or are in possession of any technical or scientific objects that can provide clues to the past activities of the Institut Pasteur's laboratories, feel free to contact the museum team at musee@pasteur.fr and follow us on social media (LinkedIn and Instagram).