At the heart of the Raspail residence, the Maison Raspail collective invites you to discover a scripted presentation of archives, documents and original objects, concerning two committed personalities: François-Vincent Raspail and Henry Poulaille. The exhibition deals with three main themes that bring together the Raspails and Poulaille: popular education and committed science, democracy, finally local life. So many themes that allow, not only to show the exceptional local heritage, but also to exchange and debate on issues essential to social and political life, this being all the more useful in the difficult moments that society is going through. A century apart, François-Vincent Raspail, his family and Henry Poulaille are linked in many ways. Their belonging to the City of Cachan, their self-taught courses, and their different forms of commitment in favour of the working class make them singular figures whose main features can be brought together and lead us to reflect on their heritage in our contemporary world. While playing an important local role, they are part of national history : François-Vincent Raspail by his revolutionary struggles and his scientific contributions; Henry Poulaille by his place in the literary and publishing world as well as by his international networks for the defense of a literature written by workers and peasants.The Raspails and Henry Poulaille bequeathed to the Cityat the end of their lives, an exceptional architectural, historical and literary heritage. The Maison Raspail Collective intends to make the house live in order to transmit this heritage by articulating it to a cultural and friendly third-place open to the inhabitants. This exhibition makes these personalities dialogue in order to prefigure what this third-place could be in part: a place of memory, appropriation of knowledge and debates.Supported by the City of Cachan, the Department, the City of Arcueil and the Centre de Recherches Historiques (EHESS/CNRS), and with our friends of Anis Gras – the place of the Other, this exhibition is a great opening moment for the Raspail house, bringing together for the first time archives, documents and original objects, from the Departmental Archives, heritage reserves of the Cities of Cachan and Arcueil, and a collection of private collections.The exhibition continues until October 20, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, from 2pm to 7pm, with a guided tour at 5pm and, by appointment, guided tours for groups. In connection with the exhibition, four conferences are proposed:
The 1848 revolution and Raspail’s candidacy in the first presidential election
Sunday 29 September at 11am, with Samuel Hayat, historian at Sciences-Po Paris
Popular education, with and after the Raspails
Sunday, October 6 at 11am, with Jonathan Barbier, historian at the University of Burgundy
François-Vincent Raspail, from science committed to participatory science
Sunday 13 October at 11am, with Christophe Balland, physicist (collective Maison Raspail)
Émile Raspail and the unsanitary factory of Hautes Bornes
Sunday 20 October at 11am, with Annie Thauront, historian (Les Ateliers du Val-de-Bièvre)