Prior to visiting The Albert-Kahn Museum and Garden, I had no idea who Albert Kahn was and why he had a whole museum about him. I love museums however so I was excited to learn about Albert Kahn and why he was so important.
Albert Kahn was a philanthropist and a banker. Kahn was largely influenced by the rapid changes happening in the world during his time. The transformations brought by the Industrial Revolution, wars, and the fear of “[of the world] disappearing under the power of modernity and imperialism” led to Kanhs vision of preserving the world as it was. From the years 1909 to 1931, Kahn sent out photographers and cinematographers to about fifty countries to capture the lives of human beings.
The Albert-Kahn Museum and Garden is composed of The Archives de la Planeta (1909-1931). These archives contain images and clips from around the world of human beings capturing geography, ethnology, travel, and current events (Archives de la Planeta). The Archives de la Planeta is the largest collection of autochromes in the world. The museum is located on Kahn’s property and contains his gardens. Khan’s gardens are constructed with influences from different cultures and traditions. The museum and gardens reflect Kahn’s passion for the preservation of the world.
Though the collection is simple. The archives are composed of day-to-day aspects and practices of the lives of individuals. Kahn offers a candid lens, capturing societies as they were rather than adapting to a romanticized lens. Kahn focuses on the parts of history that are often overlooked as they do not seem to have historical value. The archives capture the importance of the seemingly mundane aspects of human lives.
Kahn valued harmony and cultural diversity. This is reflected in Kahn’s preservation of cultures in his gardens. The gardens contain Japanese, English, and French influences creating an array of sceneries. The gardens create a sense of harmony amongst cultural differences. Oddly enough, a couple I interviewed while walking in the gardens reflected Kahn’s vision of bringing people together.
The couple I interviewed was a French woman and an Italian man who were on a date. The man had come from Italy to visit his “girlfriend”. They were sitting on a bench in the gardens when I approached them. After sparking up a conversation, the woman mentioned that “[The museum] is interesting but [the work is] missing indications of certain countries”. Though the woman only offered this opinion about Kahn’s work, the fact that she was on a date here with her Italian boyfriend fulfills Kahn’s vision of wanting people to enjoy and understand the importance of the preservation of history.
Kahns’ dedication to his project of preservation led him to bankruptcy, but it was not in vain. Kahn has inspired many people with his vision and project. So much so that Kahn’s legacy and work are preserved for people to experience and enjoy.
https://www.sortiraparis.com/arts-culture/walks/articles/220543-albert-kahn-museum-s-garden-takes-you-on-a-journey/lang/enhttps://museemagazine.com/features/2019/10/22/feature-albert-kahns-archives-of-the-planet#:~:text=To%20preserve%20the%20memory%20of,years%2C%20between%201909%20and%201931.
