Historical archives

The Musée Curie Historical Resources Center, created in 2003, houses archives, ancient news-papers, pictures, films and original documents about history of Pierre and Marie Curie, of Frédéric and Irène Joliot-Curie, of the lnstitut Curie ( Institut du Radium and Fondation Curie archives), as well as to a great extent about history of radioactivity and of fight against cancer in the early half twenty's century.
The Curie Museum's collection comprises:

1.Archives
2.Prints (books and news-papers) and audiovisual material
3.Photographs

Readings, only by appointement, for people (searchers, authors, journalists, students) seeking to explore the biographical, scientific, industrial, or medical history of the Curies, the Joliot-Curies, or the Institut Curie.
To consult archives or prints (books and news-papers), contact the archives and documentation department.
To obtain photographic illustrations, contact the Historical photography library.

Description of the collection

1) Archives

It's largely Marie Curie and Institut Curie archives. These archives concern the laboratoire Curie of the Institut du Radium, that was the laboratory that Marie Curie headed from 1914 until her death in 1934. These archives were left by Marie Curie in her office or were collected later. They principally cover the administrative and scientific activities. Other documents are also available about the relationship and scientific work of the Institut du Radium employees. The other writings and personal documents of Pierre and Marie Curie are held by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (www.bnf.fr). The Curie Laboratory archives also comprise the records of the Radium Institute's measurements department (1908-1958), which was a veritable radioactivity metrology institution in France, created by Marie Curie to certify and calibrate radiological equipment.

>Download the inventory : Archives Marie Curie

* Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie archives (1918-1958)

These archives cover the management of the laboratories (correspondence, documents, publications, laboratory notebooks, writings, ...), as well as Frédéric and Irène Joliot-Curie's social and political activities and scientific work. It's largely the Institut Curie archives from 1946 to 1958 (laboratoire Curie of the Institut du Radium archives). In January 2007, Joliot-Curies children donated their parents papers to the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the Musée Curie houses them.

Collections:

Irène Curie collection (1918-1956)
Frédéric Joliot collection (1927-1958)
Joliot-Curie collection (1926-1958)

* Pasteur laboratory and Curie Foundation archives (1904-1970)

These archives principally cover the administrative and scientific activities of Dr Claudius Regaud, who headed the Biological and medical Section of the Radium Institute from 1914 to 1937. Documents pre- and post-dating the directorship of Claudius Regaud are also available. They display documents about Pasteur Laboratory employees ans Curie Foundation (Hospital) employees as well.

Collections:

Claudius Regaud collection (1904-1937)
Curie Foundation - Pasteur Laboratory collection (1914-1970)

> Download the inventory : Archives Claudius Regaud

 
2) Library

To consult prints (books and news-papers) and audiovisual material or receive documentary details.
Our online documentation can also be consulted online.

Books and periodicals

Recent books: Readers can consult biographies, books by Pierre and Marie Curie, and Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie, scientific and medical works, studies on the history of science, medicine and health, and sociology, university theses, and dissertations.

The old, pre-1958 stock makes up one-third of the collection, which comprises some of the books and scientific and medical periodicals from the former libraries of the Radium Institute.

There is a rare collection of early 20th century and more recent newspapers and magazines. A review of the press from 1903 to the present day is also available.

The historical resources center also holds a thematic documentary collection of works on Pierre and Marie Curie, Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie, the workers at the Radium Institute and the Curie Foundation, radioactivity and nuclear science, scientific instruments, old radiotherapy apparatus, the craze for radium from 1910 to 1930, and much more.

Audiovisual material

This collection essentially comprises documentary films and interviews with former collaborators of Marie Curie, as well as recordings of television or radio programs. This documentary material deals with various historical and scientific subjects relating to the life and work of the Curies and Joliot-Curies and to radioactivity and its applications. We dont't have any archives films.This material can be consulted in the library, it is not available for outside projection.

3)  Photographs

The collection of historic photographs is exceptional. There are photographs of Pierre and Marie Curie and of Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie in their private and working lives (their families, children, research, workplaces, collaborators, experimental equipment and instruments), and other photographs.
The photographic collection is managed by the Association Curie et Joliot-Curie.

The Curie Museum website uses pictures from this collection.