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Translation to be reviewed. This page is a translation of the French original, which remains the reference. Read the French version

Clairac

Museum

The Maison de Japhet, a 16th-century house given to the town hall, housed two museums: the painter Maurousel’s, then Claude Martin’s. [A] [B]

The Maison de Japhet

According to the Société des amis de Clairac, the Maison de Japhet is a 16th-century house given to the town hall; the painter Maurousel had created a “museum” there in the mid-20th century. [B]

Henri Maurousel, a house painter and amateur artist, had bought the house; he was the one who gave it its name. In 1958 he gave it to the Clairac tourist office. His museum brought together objects of every kind. [W7]

Legend. The file for the house’s protection as a historic monument (1957) mentions a plaque claiming that Japheth, son of Noah, lived and died there. Another tradition links it to Montesquieu, without proof: in 1821 it belonged to the heirs of Martin Devin. [W7]

Claude Martin’s museum

Claude Martin created the Musée historique du Clairacais there. [A]

1966 according to the exhibition panel; 1970s according to the Société des amis de Clairac — to be verified.

He deposited there part of his collections and documents that people from Clairac had entrusted to him. For more than ten years the museum was well visited, notably by descendants of Huguenot emigrants who came to the gathering of September 1978. Repeated thefts led Claude Martin to close it. [W7]

And today?

The Maison de Japhet still belongs to the town; it is awaiting restoration and a new use. [W7]

The creation of the museum

To be completed

The Maison de Japhet in pictures

Research in progress — contribute. The project has no photograph of the Maison de Japhet or of the museum. Do you have one, or a catalogue, an article?

Send a photograph

Photograph of the Maison de Japhet to be supplied

Sources