The Museum of Franco-American Cooperation in Blerancourt, Aisne, France, is alive and well. William Orrick, Director of AFS Archives, recently paid a visit to the museum to get an update on the AFS exhibit housed there in the Florence Gould Pavilion of the chateau, once the property of Anne Morgan and given by her to the French government. Two years ago the new pavillion was opened with some fanfare and the participation of French and American governmental notables. In preparation for this occasion AFS Archives had restored to good condition and returned to Blerancourt certain documents, paintings, and objects first given to the museum in 1938 and sent back to New York in the early sixties for lack of money and staff to operate the museum. With a gift from the Gould Foundation the French government appropriated a matching sum and the
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pavilion was constructed, consisting of an art gallery and a renovated museum area for the AFS collection. The gala opening featured Walter Curley, the U.S. Ambassador to France, M. Jack Lang, French Minister of Culture, Pierre Rosenberg, Chief Curator of the Division of Paintings of the Louvre Museum and Director of Blerancourt Museum, local politicos, John Young, President of the Florence Gould Foundation, and representing AFS, Arthur Howe, ME 2, and former president of AFS. The Museum was also the scene of a joint celebration ofWWII drivers and 125 AFS students from 20 countries in July of 1990. Since that time the museum has restored another of the four pavilions of the chateau to house its growing collection of documents and its library. Drivers who are in France are urged to enjoy the drive from Paris to beautiful Picardy and visit the museum and the historic town of Blerancourt. Information is forthcoming from AFS Archives in New York or the AFS office in Paris.