The Institut français du Royaume-Uni presents When Marianne and Britannia Meet, an exhibition marking the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, from 28 March to 27 April.
French Ambassador Hélène Duchêne will open the exhibition on Wednesday 27 March, for a special private and press view, bringing together for the first time, or reuniting, archives of great historical and symbolic significance.
The UK’s National Archives will display, for one evening only on 27 March, the original British copies of the 1904 agreements and the French instrument of ratification held at Kew. The French Diplomatic Archives will bring from Paris invaluable archives, including one of the declarations signed in 1904. These documents will be on display for the duration of the exhibition.
This free exhibition is organised by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, with the support of the French Embassy in the UK, and in partnership with the UK’s National Archives and the French Diplomatic Archives. It is part of a series of major celebratory events and new projects commemorating the signing of the 1904 agreements between the UK and French governments, which improved bilateral relations.
The exhibition traces the history of the Entente Cordiale agreements and their global repercussions. Visitors will discover remarkable documents (archives, cartoons etc.) which will immerse them in the Belle Époque and the diplomatic negotiations which aimed at building peace between the two countries.
The exhibition has been curated by Dr Charlotte Faucher (Universisty of Bristol) and Dr Guillaume Perissol (Institut français du Royaume-Uni). “The agreements, which we now referred to as the Entente Cordiale, were significant in appeasing long-lasting Franco-British tensions and they are central to our understanding of twentieth-century Europe” says Charlotte Faucher.
The exhibition is made possible thanks to the generous support of Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking and the Friends of the French Institute Trust.
When Marianne and Britannia Meet Exhibition
At the Institut français in London (17 Queensberry Place, SW7 2DT)
- Private and press view on Wednesday 27 March 2024
- Open to the public from 28 March to 27 April 2024 (opening hours: Wed & Fri: 13.00 – 18.00 | Thu: 13.00 – 19.00 Sat: 12.00 – 18.00 |Sun – Tue: closed)
The exhibition will be presented in a smaller format:
- in the Alliance française’s UK network, from April 2024 (including Bristol, Cambridge, Jersey, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Glasgow & Manchester)
- in several schools in the UK
- at the French Diplomatic Archives in Paris (date TBA)
For more info about the Entente Cordiale Celebrations programme, visit:
Contact
- Natacha Antolini
natacha.antolini@institut-francais.org.uk / 020 7871 3521
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