The Vignacourt 14-18 Interpretive Centre welcomes you in the Thuillier farmhouse.
During the Great War, Vignacourt became an important military base located behind Allied lines.
Louis and Antoinette Thuillier, both farmers who loved new technologies, owned their own camera, which was rare in the early 20th century.
Louis taught Antoinette how to use it and they turned their farmyard into a photo studio. In front of an improvised backdrop, both civilians and soldiers would come to the farmhouse to have their photographs taken.
When the war ended, the photographic plates were stored in the attic and forgotten about for over a century. They now form the Thuillier collection, a truly unique set of photographs.
A unique photo collection taken during the Great War by a couple, Louis and Antoinette Thuillier.
The Celestials Garden is a tribute to the Chinese workers in the Thuillier collection. The painter WEN WENWU painted portraits of the collection and they decorate our garden.
The garden is a peaceful place, which we have laid out so that you can relax, have a coffee or bring a picnic.
During the summer, we organise concerts, workshops and events in the garden.