Restaurations

The Musée Nissim de Camondo opened in 1936, in accordance with the wishes of its donor, Comte Moïse de Camondo. The public was able to discover one of the most famous collections in Paris, formed by an enthusiastic lover of French eighteenth-century art. Some fifty years later, the setting for this prestigious collection and, to a lesser extent, the collection itself, were in need of major restoration work. The first phase was devoted to the mansion’s main reception rooms, where restoration was carried out on the wood paneling, textiles, furniture and art objects. This phase, which lasted from 1985 to 1995, enjoyed the support of the “Comité pour Camondo,” a committee composed essentially of antiquarians, decorators and collectors.

The mansion has also been rehabilitated in recent years. New donations made it possible to open previously inaccessible spaces to the public: the Kitchen, the Chef’s Office, the Scullery and the Servants’ Dining Room on the Lower Ground Floor.

On the First Floor, the three apartments occupied by Moïse de Camondo and his children, Nissim and Béatrice, consisted of a bedroom, study, dressing room and bathroom. These were restored, as precious evidence of the comfort and hygiene of the time, except for Béatrice’s apartment where the bedroom and boudoir were combined in 1924 by Moïse de Camondo to create the Blue Drawing Room.

Nissim de Camondo’s apartments can now be visited in full. The room with red silk walls, originally Nissim’s bedroom, is now used to present thematic exhibitions that change regularly. The Bathroom with its hexagonal green and white tiles was restored to its original state.

In the outbuildings, the garage – a vast room with metal beams and pillars – was also restored and serves as a venue for private events. Thanks to our sponsors, we were able to restore the collections and renovate the kitchen, part of the outbuildings and Nissim de Camondo’s apartments for opening to the public. Special thanks are due to: