caught in the net - Musée national de la Marine

CAUGHT
IN THE
NET
PRESS
KIT
7 OCT. 2015
26 JUNE 2016
Gadus morhua: Atlantic cod
National Maritime Museum
palais de chaillot
paris 16th
musee-marine.fr
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Curators
Denis-Michel Boëll,
General heritage conservation officer, Assistant director
Corinne Pignon, Head of the Exhibition Department
Philippe Schmidt, Head of the Multimedia Department
With the assistance of Mathilde Etot and Pauline Rolland
Scenography
Nicolas Groult
Sylvain Roca
exhibition graphics
graphica
graphic design and production
H Bronx agence (Paris)
The National Maritime Museum would like to
thank the following lenders:
Saint-Malo Municipal Archives; Association Mémoire et
Patrimoine des Terre-Neuvas, Saint-Malo; Rennes Métropole
Library; National Centre for Plastic Arts, Paris; Château des ducs
de Bretagne. Nantes History Museum; Loïc Josse; Marie-Edith
Cornélius, Compagnie des Pêches; Laval Museum Collections;
the Commune of Lantic; La Manche Departmental Archives;
Tatihou Maritime Museum, Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue; the Maison
d’Artiste de la Grande-Vigne, Dinan; Marcel Mochet; the
Architecture and Heritage Media Library; the Baron Martin
Museum, Gray; the Museum of Art and History, Granville; the
Museum of Art and History, Saint-Brieuc; the Museum of History,
Saint-Malo; the Museum of Britanny, Rennes; Cancale Museum;
Fécamp Museum; the Breton Departmental Museum, Quimper;
Dunkirk Museum of Fine Arts; Nantes Museum of Fine Arts;
Rouen Museum of Fine Arts; the Harbour Museum, Dunkirk; the
Chapel of Our Lady of Grace, Honfleur; the National Museum of
Natural History, Paris; Prunier Restaurant; Société des Œuvres
de Mer, Paris.
As well as all the private collectors who wished to remain
anonymous.
Exhibition produced with the support of SEMMARIS
Exhibition based on the "Newfoundland – Terre-Neuvas"
exhibitions produced in 2013-2014 by the Museum of Brittany,
Saint-Brieuc Museum of Art and History, Saint-Malo History
Museum and Granville Museum of Art and History.
Leaving Newfoundland bound for Saint-Malo
Albert Brenet (1903-2005)
Oil painting, detail, 1936
© National Maritime Museum/P. Dantec/Adagp
CAUGHT
IN THE
NET
A fascinating exhibition, full of fabulous stories and pictures!
The exhibition tells the story of deep-sea cod fishing in the distant waters
of Newfoundland, Labrador, Iceland and Greenland. Five centuries of
incredible technical, economic and human challenge and adventure, to
exploit a resource long considered to be boundless, even heaven-sent.
It is the story of thousands of sailors who set sail every year in difficult and
perilous conditions. In the days of sail fishing boats, fishing expeditions
lasted up to six months. For the women and children, it was a time of
absence, of waiting, of worrying whether the men would return or not...
and from the late 19th century onwards, it inspired many artists, writers,
painters, illustrators and film-makers whose works will be on show.
A contemporary exhibition: when current affairs enter the museum...
Cod fell victim to overfishing and, in just a few years, all but vanished from
the North-West Atlantic in the late 20th century. This story prompts us to
ask some bigger questions, such as how can the sea's resources continue
to feed a growing population? What can responsible and sustainable
fishing be? Which species can the consumer opt for?
This exhibition will therefore let the many players in the debate have their
say, including scientists, decision-makers, fishermen and shipowners, as
well as associations committed to protecting the environment and
biodiversity.
The sea is our planet's future and the management of marine resources is
a major challenge and a critical issue. A few important speakers such as
Erik Orsenna and Isabelle Autissier will convincingly remind us of that fact.
At the Palais de Chaillot in Paris
7 October 2015 - 26 June 2016
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Still-life of fish on a beach
Tatihou Island Maritime Museum
© CD50/Tatihou Museum
Deep sea
fishing,
historical and geographical landmarks
Unloading the trawlers at Fécamp
Poster, ordered by the French Western Railway Company
Camille Marchand
1931
Fécamp Museum Collection
© Imagery
between three and five kilos. Cod can be easily
recognised by its greenish-brown skin, white
belly, three dorsal fins and two ventral fins, but
mostly by its chin barbel and large mouth.
Over the centuries, this fish has been the focus of
an extraordinary economic, technical and human
adventure. Deep sea cod fishing became a vital
economic activity - from line fishing in dory boats
to industrial scale trawling - a profitable yet
perilous saga whose history involves many French
ports on the English Channel and the Atlantic.
From the late 15th century and for almost five centuries afterwards, thousands of men set sail every
year to fish for cod on the banks of Newfoundland and Iceland. Leaving their homes on the Atlantic Coast and the English Channel, the fishermen would set off for 6 to 8 months bound for the
North Atlantic waters where the fish were abundant and the fishing nothing short of miraculous.
What about this cod, this "white gold" of the cold
North Atlantic seas? Gadus morhua is a voracious
fish which can grow up to one and a half metres
long and ninety kilos in weight. Although in the
past it was quite common to catch cod weighing
thirty kilos, nowadays the fish caught only weigh
The landing of the cod
Richard Le Blanc
Embellished drawing, early 20th century
© Granville Museum of Art and History
Landing the cod at Granville
Granville Museum of Art and History Collection
© DR
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Brochure The cod consumption advertising committee
Private collection
1950-1960
© Jean Darroux Publication/DR
The people
involved
in
deep sea fishing
Advertisement Take it!... God’s orders
Cod liver oil… Gaston Monier
Private collection
© DR
You can't go fishing without a boat. Up until the
late 18th century, people used all sorts of boats for
fishing. In the 19th century, the more specialised
three-masted schooner, from which the dories set
out to drop their lines, and the topsail schooner
made their appearance. 1902 ushered in the era
of the engine trawler which would lead to the
gradual decline of traditional sailing ships.
Behind each boat would be a shipowner who
supplied it with equipment and provisions and
also enrolled the captain. The captain decided
on fishing strategies and hired the crew. The men
setting off for Newfoundland could be farmers or
craftsmen. As for those heading towards the
dangerous seas of Iceland, they were tradesmen.
From the ship's deck to the nets, an entire
economy grew and fortunes were made thanks to
this fishing resource. "For every man at sea, there
are five on land": coopers, sailmakers and shipyard
workers were all involved in this industry which
over the centuries continually developed its
fishing techniques.
The Two Ship’s Boys
Michel Briand & Son Collection - Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
© Studio Briand Ozon
Advertisement Eat cod, come summer or winter
Private collection
© DR
The cod consumer also plays a key role in this
adventure. In the middle of the 20th century, a
large part of French society considered cod to be
a poor man's dish so it was given the name
"cabillaud" and sold from then on in France under
that name, either fresh or in frozen fillets. Until
then, the large number of days of abstinence
(meat-free) prescribed by the Church made cod
very popular. Cod was preserved all year round
and eaten salted and dried. In our collective
memory, we still associate it with the legendary
cod liver oil!
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Blessing of the Newfoundland trawler, Saint Pierre des marins
Lechevalier Collection
Photograph, 1950s
© Fécamp Museum Collection
An epic
human
tale
The departure of the cod fishermen on their deep
sea fishing expedition brought with it celebrations,
such as the Pardon of the Icelanders at Paimpol, a
great procession followed by a blessing of the
ships. These ceremonies, sometimes religious,
sometimes not, used to attract a crowd of
onlookers as well as artists and journalists. The
blessing of the fleets and the sailors was supposed
to protect them from the many dangers at sea,
such as the storms and fog in which ships and
dories became lost, and from illness and injury,
etc.
Leaving for Newfoundland
Willy Ronis (1910-2009)
1949
© Succession Willy Romis/Distribution Rapho Agency
The fishermen's awful living conditions, working
for eighteen hours a day in the freezing cold and
the wind, with no hygiene on board, led to the
creation of the Société des Œuvres de Mer in
1894. Its hospital ships went straight to the boats
on the banks to hand out post, hold Mass and
collect the sick. Those who survived these tough
trips always thanked the Virgin Mary on their
return by going on a pilgrimage, or with a prayer or
thanksgiving plaque.
Life was hard back on land, too. In the ports, life
without the men meant society was organised in a
particular way, with the women taking over and
working to support their families while their
husbands were away. But what they dreaded
most was seeing a black flag flying on the returning
ships, for this meant one or more men had died
during the trip.... and worst of all was not seeing
the ships return at all.
The Newfoundland funerals
Henri Rudaux (1865-1927)
Watercolour drawing, between 1875 and 1915
© National Maritime Museum/P. Dantec
Return from Iceland
Albert Guillaume Demarest (1848-1906)
Baron Martin Museum Collections, Gray
© Baron Martin Museum, Gray
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Between myth
and reality
images of an adventure
The fisherman, portrayed as a "convict of the
seas", and his wife a "touching heroine" anxiously
awaiting her husband, became popular dramatic
figures through the eyes of late 19th century artists.
Pre-19th century representations of deep sea
fishing are rather rare. It was The Icelandic
Fisherman, the novel by Pierre Loti published in
1886, which made this subject popular, creating a
genuine passion in writers and artists alike for
fishing in Newfoundland and Iceland. There were
novels by Anatole Le Braz and later on by Roger
Vercel, drawings and paintings by AlbertGuillaume Desmarest, Paul Signac, Albert Brenet,
Mathurin Méheut and Yvonne Jean-Haffen... not
to mention The woman from Paimpol by Botrel.
The fishermen's widows in particular caught the
artists' imaginations. A large number of drawings,
paintings and photographs show them praying in
front of the "walls of the missing" or staring out to
sea from the Widows' Cross.
Saint-Malo, the pardon of the Newfoundlanders
Paul Signac (1863-1935)
Oil on canvas, 1928
Saint-Malo Museum of History
© Cavan
In the mid-20th century, a more realistic and
documentary style of representation followed this
lyrical, romantic view. In 1953, Anita Conti
published Racleurs d’Océans (Ocean scrapers), in
which she describes the fishing trip to
Newfoundland which she herself went on and also
filmed. In it she was already condemning the
overfishing of the seas. This testimonial literature
found its most iconic representative in Jean
Recher. In Le grand métier (The Great Profession),
published in 1977, he retraces his career from
ship's boy to captain.
This new evocation of deep sea fishing no doubt
resulted from an awareness of the profession's
gradual disappearance as the resources became
depleted.
At the Pardon of the Newfoundlanders
Yvonne Jean-Haffen (1895-1993)
Casein on cardboard, between 1930-1935
Maison d’Artiste de La Grande-Vigne-Dinan Collection
© Coll. Maison d’Artiste de La Grande-Vigne-Dinan
Poster for the film The Icelandic Fisherman
By Jacques de Baroncelli (1881-1951), based on the novel by Pierre Loti
Henri Rudaux (1870-1927), artist
1924
Radia production
© National Maritime Museum/A. Fux
Icelandic schooner landing its cod
Mathurin Méheut (1882-1958)
1939
© Prunier Restaurant, Paris/Adagp 2015
The woman from Paimpol
Pierre Lenoir (1878-1953)
Henriot, Quimper
Pottery, between 1915 and 1930
Saint-Brieuc Museum of Art and History Collection
© D. Morin
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At sea
around 1902
Guillaume Albert Demarest (1848-1906)
Oil on canvas
French public contemporary art collection
Formerly kept at the Nantes Museum of Fine Arts
Kept at the Rouen Museum of Fine Arts since 2010
© Alain Guillard/Nantes Museum of Fine Arts
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The state
of
fishing
today
The fate of deep sea fishing in Newfoundland was
sealed for ever in 1992 when the Canadian
government declared a moratorium and then a ban
on cod fishing.
Stocks once believed to be
inexhaustible plummeted in just a few years, victims
of overfishing, a phenomenon universally
acknowledged today by everyone involved.
However, the taste for seafood shows no signs of
slowing and every year 136.2 million tons of fish and
shellfish produced from fishing and fish farming are
consumed throughout the world. Each French
person eats on average 35 kg of fish and shellfish per
year, twice as much as in the 1960s.
But the growing consumption of seafood is
putting some species under unbearable pressure.
The FAO (United Nations food and agriculture
organisation) revealed in 2014 that almost 30% of
global fish stocks are being exploited at a
biologically unsustainable level in the long term.
That means that these stocks, which are already
jeopardised by pollution and global warming, are
set to disappear.
The warnings issued by scientists have led some
countries to react. In 2013, the European Union
voted for a new common fisheries policy aiming to
lay the foundations for sustainable and
responsible fishing.
Putting it into practice, however, remains
complex.
To meet this global challenge of food supply and
the environment, the question is: how can we
steer our consumption of seafood so as not to
jeopardise our future and that of future
generations?
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The sea
is the future
of
the Earth
The history of cod fishing in Newfoundland
encourages us to reflect on the consequences of
poor marine management, serving as an example.
This deep sea fishing which proved so lucrative
for centuries made people forget that no
resource is inexhaustible. It is therefore up to us
to sustainably manage the riches of the oceans
which cover 71% of the world's surface.
This exhibition will let the many players in this
debate have their say, including scientists,
decision-makers, fishermen and shipowners, as
well as associations committed to protecting the
environment and biodiversity. Visitors will be able
to interact with these different players through
innovative multimedia devices and ask them about
topical issues, such as deep sea fishing, discards,
fish farming and the future of fishing and
fishermen. But because they are consumers too,
visitors will be offered tools for better responsible
and sustainable consumption.
The sea is our planet's future and the management
of marine resources is a major challenge and a
critical issue nowadays. Several prominent figures,
including Isabelle Autissier (president of the WWF
in France), Erik Orsenna (writer and member of the
French Academy) and Gilles Bœuf (president of
the National Museum of Natural History), will
convincingly remind us of that fact.
Therefore, by making the link between the
adventure of deep-sea cod fishing and the current
situation, the National Maritime Museum wishes its
temporary exhibition to address a modern-day
issue, so that each of us can consider our respect
for marine resources and our own role as a
consumer and a global citizen.
To complement the tour, a mobile app
will enable visitors to access all the
interviews presented in the exhibition.
This app can be downloaded free of
charge from the Apple and Google
stores.
Isabelle Autissier / Erik Orsenna / Claire Nouvian
© National Maritime Museum/P. Schmidt
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• Family tour for adults and children over 7:
The Icelandic Fisherman and other tales
Cultural
programme
FOR adults
3rd edition of the
"Fishing cinema" series
16 - 18 March 2015
Maritime Museum auditorium
Readings interspersed with both vintage and
contemporary film productions from fictional and
"reality" cinema to broaden your knowledge of the
deep sea fishing trips, including, among other films:
La morue était trop belle by Alain Guellaff,
Mémoires de brume (Memories of the fog) by
Alain-Michel Blanc, Racleurs d’océan (Ocean
scrapers) by Anita Conti and Le Crabe tambour
(The Drummer Crab) by Pierre Schoendoerffer.
Each screening will be followed by a discussion
with the audience.
• Thursday 19 November at 7 pm: "Scientists
helping to deliver sustainable fishing"
Alain Biseau, advisor - coordinator of fishery
expertise at the IFREMER; Didier Gascuel,
professor, director of the AGROCAMPUS WEST
fisheries centre
• Thursday 3 December at 7 pm: "Did you say
sustainable? The NGOs on board"
- Claire Nouvian, president and founder of the
BLOOM association
- Hélène Bourges, oceans campaign officer at
Greenpeace France
- A WWF France representative
- Stéphan Beaucher, fisheries management public
policy advisor
The January - June 2016 series programme will be
provided at a later date.
Guided tours
Details of the series programme will be provided at
a later date.
• Tour for adults and children over 14: Deep sea
fishing in Newfoundland and elsewhere
Lecture series
This is the story of thousands of sailors who, from
the Middle Ages onwards, set off on long trips to
fish for cod, often dangerous for the men and for
their families an arduous wait for their return.
From the pioneers of the past to the latest trawlers of the present, a highly lucrative economy
grew up, based on a resource considered to be
inexhaustible. A rich artistic output bears witness
to this business which came to an abrupt end in
the late 20th century.
"Towards sustainable fishing?" Lessons to be
learned from the history of deep sea fishing
November 2015 - June 2016
A series of speeches by experts, scientists,
fishermen, historians and associations committed
to protecting the environment and biodiversity.
Remembering the iconic history of cod fishing and
the deep sea fishing trips leads to considering the
current issues of resource management for
responsible and sustainable fishing.
Saturdays at 3 pm (alternating with the family
tour)
The great deep sea fishing adventure inspired a
large number of authors from the late 19thcentury
onwards.
The tour is punctuated with selected readings
describing the fishermen setting sail, the initiation
of a novice, the cold, stormy weather, the return
home... The tales drawn from epic texts and novels
for youngsters take us off to distant seas.
La morue était trop belle
(Cod was too lovely)
Alain Guellaff, director
Documentary, 2012
© Poischiche Films
Saturdays at 3 pm (alternating with the tour for
adults)
• Maritime Museum/ Orsay Museum intermuseum trail
Two tours on the same day to explore a common
theme:
19th century coastal views
1 9 th
century
artists
s e i ze d
upon
the coastal theme. The exhibition reveals the myths
and realities of the fishermen and their families
through social representations and idealised views
of their everyday lives. At the Orsay Museum, the
various artistic movements express the attraction
for coasts and shorelines, places where artists
found new inspiration.
Dates to be determined - 11 am at the Maritime
Museum and 2.30 pm at Orsay
• For disabled visitors
• Guided tour with FSL - For deaf visitors (duration
1½ hours)
Saturday 9 January and Saturday 19 March at 11 am
• Adapted tour trail
- For visually-impaired visitors, fact sheets in Braille
and large print
- For visitors with impaired hearing, films
and screenings with French subtitles
Information and bookings on +33 (0)1 53 65 69 53
and at musee-marine.fr
Auditorium
© National Maritime Museum/A. Fux
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Snakes and ladders in the Children's area
© National Maritime Museum/C. Castaing
Cultural
programme
FOR CHILDREN
School visit teaching aids
© National Maritime Museum/C. Castaing
Tours and events for families
and schools
• Storytelling visit for children aged 4-6: The
trawler cat
On board an old trawler, a greedy cat dreams
about sinking his teeth into the small fish. But
which ones shall he choose from among the
thousands of species which live in the sea? During
the visit, the children have to change the story
because the impatient cat does not always
practise ocean-friendly fishing.
Wednesdays and school holidays at 3 pm for
individuals
Workshop visit In the Suroît wind for children aged 7-12
© National Maritime Museum/C. Castaing
Commentary suitable for young
visitors
• A fun trail: The mystery of the missing cod
A brightly-coloured booklet for young visitors to
take with them around the exhibition. There are
observation games and puzzles to solve. An active
and entertaining way to learn about the adventures of cod fishing and the risks of poor marine
management.
For children aged 7 and above. Free, produced in
partnership with the Paris-Mômes magazine
• A play area: The ship's boys' deck
In the middle of the exhibition is a special
children's area. Discover the secrets of
sustainable fishing with some fun activities: large
mesh nets, fish which have time to grow, unusual
recipes... A giant fun trail even teaches the ship's
boys how to catch the right fish!
For children aged 6 - 12. Free access
• Workshop visit for children aged 7-12: In the
Suroît wind
Dive into the world of deep sea fishing with this
activity which explores the exhibition and includes a creative workshop. After having shared
the life of a ship's boy during a cod fishing trip, the
children learn how to identify endangered fish
and make a poetic mobile with their shapes.
Wednesdays and school holidays at 3 pm for
individuals
• Guided tour for schools (all levels): From deep
sea fishing to sustainable fishing
• Inter-disciplinary trail for secondary school
children: The Icelandic Fisherman and other
tales
• Inter-museum trail for Year 11 and the Sixth
Form:
Are fish going to disappear?
Explore a common theme through the complementary collections in both institutions. The Maritime Museum tells the saga of deep sea fishing
and the need today to practise sustainable fishing. At the Aquarium de la Porte Dorée, pupils
are introduced to the naturalistic approach to the
marine environment and its protection.
• The keys to the exhibition for teachers
For teachers to familiarise themselves with the
topic, there is an on-line educational pack, a preview and professional evening with the exhibition
curators and educational meetings every month.
event for the general public
A pop-up restaurant: To the joys of cod!
On Thursday 31 March 2016, the Maritime Museum will open
up its restaurant for a day. In partnership with the Guillaume
Tirel Hotel Management School in Paris, the general public
will be invited to sample the produce of sustainable fishing
after visiting the exhibition. An opportunity you won't want
to miss! This special buffet will be prepared and served by
the pupils themselves!
Information and bookings on +33 (0)1 53 65 69 53
and at musee-marine.fr
Storytelling visit The Trawler Cat for children aged 4-6
© National Maritime Museum/C. Castaing
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PRESS
VISUALS
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1
Exhibition poster
Bronx agence (Paris)
2
J. Pennanéac’h Album
1933
Saint-Malo Museum of History
© Pennanéac’h/Saint-Malo Museum of History
3
Landing the cod at Granville
Granville Museum of Art and History Collection
© DR
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5
To promote the exhibition
Caught in the net,
the National Maritime Museum
authorises the Press to use
the photographs of the artworks
presented on this page.
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7
Copyright for the dissemination of this material is free under the
following terms and conditions: press material may only be
disseminated in connection with the promotion of the exhibition,
presented in Paris, from 7 October 2015 to 26 June 2016.
8
The selected illustrations must comply with the specific copyright
as indicated in the captions.
9
Saint Pierre des marins
1953
Lechevalier Collection
© Fécamp Museum Collection
Return from Iceland
Albert Guillaume Demarest (1848-1906)
Baron Martin Museum Collections, Gray
© Baron Martin Museum, Gray
Icelandic schooner landing its cod
Mathurin Méheut (1882-1958)
Oil on canvas, 1939
© Prunier Restaurant, Paris/Adagp 2015
Saint-Malo, the pardon of the Newfoundlanders
Paul Signac (1863-1935)
Oil on canvas, 1928
Saint-Malo Museum of History
© Cavan
At the Pardon of the Newfoundlanders
Yvonne Jean-Haffen (1895-1993)
Oil on canvas, between 1930 and 1935
Maison d’Artiste de La Grande-Vigne-Dinan Collection
© Coll. Maison d’Artiste de La Grande-Vigne-Dinan
Poster for the film The Icelandic Fisherman
By Jacques de Baroncelli (1881-1951),
based on the novel by Pierre Loti
Henri Rudaux (1870-1927), artist
1924
Radia production
© National Maritime Museum/A. Fux
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CAUGHT IN
THE
NET
15
Advertisement Take it! God's orders
Cod liver oil… Gaston Monier
Private collection
© DR
Poster for the film Captain Courageous
By Victor Fleming (1889-1949),
based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling
1937
MetroGoldwynMeyer
Image Perron/Kharbine-Tapabor
12
The cod consumption
advertising committee
Private collection
Brochure, 1950-1960
© Jean Darroux Publication, Paris/DR
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Crew of the cod trawler Grande Hermine
Port of Tromsø, Norway
© Marcel Mochet
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On board the cod trawler Grande Hermine
in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea
© Marcel Mochet
Grande Hermine at the foot of the Lofoten Islands
in the Norwegian Sea
© Marcel Mochet
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PRACTICAL
INFOR
MATION
In spite of our efforts to find the authors and rights
holders, some could not be identified and we
remain at their disposal should they wish to make
themselves known.
7 October 2015 - 26 June 2016
National Maritime Museum - Palais de Chaillot
17, place du Trocadéro Paris 16th district
musee-marine.fr
Opening times
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 11 am - 6 pm
last admission at 5.15 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am - 7 pm
last admission at 6.15 pm
Closed on Tuesdays, 25th December, 1st January
and 1st May
-
Admission fees
Full price: 10 euros
Reduced price: 8 euros
7 - 18 year olds: 5 euros
3 - 6 year olds: 2 euros
Admission fees include access to the permanent collections
and the temporary exhibition.
Advance ticket purchase: musee-marine.fr; ticketnet.fr; fnac.com;
Fnac and affiliated sales outlets.
national maritime
museum
PRESS OFFICERS
Odile Charbonneau & Silvia Simeone
Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 65 69 47
E-mail: presse@musee-marine.fr
musee-marine.fr