MUSEUM OF PRINTING AND GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION

If we know Lyon as the capital of gastronomy, we know less that the capital of Gaules was also one of the European capitals of the printing works in the Renaissance. At the end of the 15th century, Lyon produced a third of the French editions and in 1520, documents attesting to the existence of 80 printing works in the city! Lyon, which has long been a stronghold of printing works, pays tribute to this rich heritage at the Musée de l 'Imprimerie which celebrates this year its fiftieth anniversary! A really smart visit. Located in the superb Hôtel de la Couronne, house of the 15th century where large pages of the Lyon history were written, this remarkable museum exists thanks to Maurice Audin, son of a great printer from Lyon, and Henri-Jean Martin, chief curator of the Libraries of Lyon. Since its opening in 1964 and through its impressive collections, the Musée de l'Imprimerie shows the public in an educational way (or interactive with workshops around the graphic arts) the evolution of printing techniques and graphic techniques. The permanent exhibition reveals real treasures with rare books, including a leaflet of the famous Gutenberg Bible of 1450. The precious reserve contains more than 1,000 books that have marked in their way the history of printing works until the 19th century. You still have to admire prints, ephemeral prints, printing masters and all graphic material. In this moving place, children and adults are amazed to discover a real printing workshop in activity or to participate in workshops to better understand the issues of printing. Another part of the museum hosts temporary exhibitions. A museum that retains part of the Lyon soul.