the essential
On February 12, the L’Envol des Pionniers museum in Toulouse will launch a new exhibition entitled: “Air France, a story of elegance”. Immersive settings, rare objects, haute couture uniforms and even models of legendary planes will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the world of Air France. Museographer Véronique Hallard reveals its outlines.
Can you introduce this exhibition to us?
It will extend over 300 m² and will be composed of four different themes around Air France which will allow visitors to discover several facets of the company.
That’s to say ?
It is a company that has existed since 1933, which therefore has a long history, and this is the subject of the first theme “diving into history”. Air France was founded from four companies, plus a fifth which is Aéropostale, which visitors normally discover at the Flight of the Pioneers. This exhibition is therefore the continuation of the story somewhere. To talk about this history, we are exhibiting dozens of posters which will be projected on the wall and which show the exotic destinations that visitors could reach at the time.
Why did you choose to highlight Air France in particular?
Air France has a historical link with Toulouse, more precisely with Montaudran, because the company has had one of its maintenance centers on site for more than 70 years. During this time, entire generations of Toulouse residents took turns to ensure the maintenance of Air France planes. We are therefore talking about a company that has truly left its mark on our city.
The exhibition will also give pride of place to the company’s legendary objects…
Effectively. We have 170 objects on display. In this lot, we have around fifteen uniforms, seats, crockery, toys, documentation… We also find a cabinet of curiosities, which will present historical objects that are no longer found today in the travel agencies.
Who is this exhibition for?
We are really targeting a wider audience than aviation enthusiasts. The exhibition is called “Air France, a story of elegance” and, in fact, it is not only aimed at a particular type of public.
How would you define the elegance of Air France?
Indeed, Air France is elegance. Moreover, there are many fashion designers who say that you can recognize an Air France crew at an airport at a glance.
For what ?
Because throughout history, Air France has called on great designers to dress its cabin crew. I think for example of Christian Dior or Cristóbal Balenciaga. I also think of Andrée Putman, who was a great interior designer and to whom we owe the design of the Concorde cabins, and Charlotte Perriand, who designed the company’s travel agencies.
The exhibition also tells of the close links between Toulouse and Air France. Can you tell us more?
In this part of the exhibition, we find these planes which flew for Air France and which were manufactured, designed and put into flight for the first time here, in Toulouse. We therefore highlight the Caravelle, the Concorde, obviously the Airbus, but also the Dewoitine, whose factories over time became Sud-Aviation and Airbus. This second theme, which highlights this territorial and historical anchoring, is very important for us.
The famous Toulouse photographer Jean Dieuzaide will also be in the spotlight…
Quite. This name speaks to many Toulouse residents. Four photos by this great photographer will be visible. These photos represent a plane under maintenance in Montaudran, a Languedoc, a Concorde, a landing of the Caravelle and the inauguration of the first A300B1, in 1972.
How long will the exhibition last?
The exhibition will last two years. It opens on February 12, 2025 and will last until the Christmas holidays of 2026. This will allow visitors, over a long period, to make use of it and discover it. It is also accessible to younger children, with things to touch in particular. We wanted to make it something fun and adapted to an audience with disabilities as well.
