Can you tell us about your career path?
I did my degree in history and was initially interested in the glassmaking history of the northern Vosges region, in particular the social and industrial history of the glassworks of Wingen-sur-Moder, Meisenthal, Goetzenbruck and Saint-Louis. Through various internships, particularly at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, I developed my interest in the artistic aspect. After my PhD on preserving the heritage of the glass and crystal industry in Europe, I was lucky enough that the development of the Lalique Museum project was brought to my attention. And I’ve been the Museum’s director since it opened in 2011.
How did the idea for a Lalique museum come about?
The plan to create a museum dates back to the late 1990s and was initiated by the local authorities. Their aim was to showcase an exceptional artist, René Lalique – the inventor of modern jewellery and master of Art Déco glasswork – but also a craft industry still in operation: the Lalique factory.
Why was this site chosen?
Wingen-sur-Moder was chosen as the location for the museum because it was in this village that René Lalique built his factory in 1921. Today it is the only place in the world where Lalique crystal is produced. The Hochberg site where the museum is located is the site of a former glassworks. Located at the entrance to the village, it is a pleasant landscaped setting. What’s more, it represents a connection between local glassmaking tradition which dates back to the late Middle Ages and which was the main reason René Lalique chose to settle here.