Run by Louis Albert de Broglie, also known as the Gardener Prince (yep, another one!), you can feel the love for nature (even dead nature) in the Deyrolle house of entomology and taxidermy. After a vicious fire that ravaged the place in February 2008, we wanted to show how Deyrolle has fought back, and help this slightly secret – and fascinating – place get the recognition it deserves…

photos: JasonW. All rights reserved

After having lived in the Paris for 15 years, the first time I hear of Deyrolle was in February 2008… when it burnt down. The establishment dates from 1831, founded by Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle who loved entomology and sold insects and hunting materials for natural history collectors. He also started to develop a taxidermy business, and business went well.

In 1866 Émile Deyrolle – who similarly loved natural history – took over the business that his grandfather had founded. It was Émile who started developing a series of colourful, educational posters, caled the Deyrolly Scholarly Museum, famous in French schools (they all have them) and evocative of the age with their instantly recognisable graphic style. When Louis Albert de Broglie took over Deyrolle in 2001, he started a new series of posters with more modern themes, also developing a line of objects and utensils for the garden under the nae of the Prince Jardinier (Gardener Prince).

Anyway, enough history. Here’s our guided tour of the place!

It’s true that from outside you would never know the wonders hidden inside. It just looks like a posh gardening shop (albeit with a few stuffed animals in the window). However, if you look up and left a little the traces of the fire (and the emergency building work that followed) are still visible…


On the ground floor, the Prince Jardinier brand name is visible on various products such as garening tools, flower pots and even perfume. There are many beautiful, well-chosen books and the high ceiling gives a real impression of space.







There’s already the feeling that you’re somewhere a little different. A few objects hint at what is upstairs, and some of the sales staff seem a bit odd (and don’t get much work done)…




Yes, the animals are watching us! Unfortunately, if you want some buying advice you’d be better off asking at the cash desk… 😉

Having looked round the ground floor, we go upstairs. Deyrolle doesn’t charge entrance, so don’t be afraid to go up. Even before you arrive at the top of the stairs the view is surprising…

In the first room we finally get to see why the place is famous. Deyrolle preserves animals – both big and small – that you can buy or rent (for films or shop displays for example). They also have a service whereby – get ready – they can stuff your animal, if you so wish. I walk around the room taking in this slightly surreal scene of static animals. Some of them seem to be looking out of the window, a little sad…






There’s a strange beauty – mixes with sadness – to it.
Going into the room next door, the animals are generally smaller (apart from a giraffe and some heads looking down at us form on high). The presentation cases are full of beetles, birds and butterflies. Everything is well presented and order in little drawers…













I was particularly surprised by the snake skeleton and fish jaw, very spooky…


Before the fire there were another two rooms running along the front of the building (which probably explains why the animals seem so cramped at the moment). One of those rooms is being prepared for re-opening in Spring 2009. The third, still in a poor state, won’t be opening any time soon.

But there’s still a room left for us to see! This one contains many fewer animals (there are still a couple) and many more strange and curious objects as well as books and the famous Deyrolle posters. Everything here is for sale, and as the place is free it would perhaps be good idea to help them rebuild by buying something…





Here’s a little film that might help you get a better idea of the space. Of course it’s something that really has to be seen by going there. We advise you to check out:

– the Deyrolle website, with their online store (posters, books)
– the Prince Jardinier website, which has some strange and unique items for the garden
– Nature fragile (Fragile Nature), which is a book whose proceeds go to the “Friends of Deyrolle” association, and contains photos and works of art from many artists, created for a fundraising Christie’s auction. Click on the name of the book to go to amazon.fr

– and Deyrolle itself (!!!) at 46 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris. Métro Rue du Bac (line 12). Open every day except Sunday from 10am – 7pm (closed for an hour midday Monday). Tel : +33 (0) 1 42 22 30 07

Bigger map here