Opening of the Musée éphémère Marcel Proust in Illiers-Combray

The Musée éphémère Marcel Proust opened its doors on Saturday 22 January.

Located at 19, rue de Chartres, in Illiers-Combray, it houses the collections of the Société des Amis de Marcel Proust et des Amis de Combray for the whole duration of the renovation works at the Maison de Tante Léonie, that is until mid-2023.

In the first part of the museum are displayed paintings, manuscripts, photographs and objets d'art relating to the work or the life of the writer. In this year 2022, the focus is on Proust's death, with a display case devoted to the surviving depictions of it (an engraving by Paul-César Helleu, photographs by Man Ray, etc.).

The second part of the museum offers a faithful recreation of two rooms of the Maison de Tante Léonie: "the Aunt's" bedroom and "the child's" bedroom (the latter having been fitted with a projection device showing magic-lantern images such as might have existed in Proust's time).

The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 2.15pm to 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm.

Standard rate: 5 euros, reduced rate (over sixty, jobseekers): 4 euros, free for residents of Illiers-Combray, association members, school group chaperones, and ICOM cardholders.