A short history of CIMUSET

The name of the committee is an acronym (in French) : C(omité) I(nternational) (des) MU(sées) (de) S(ciences) E(t) (des) T(echniques).

Formation

CIMUSET was founded since 1946 as a “Subject Group Committee” of ICOM for Science and Technology. In 1948 it was named the “Committee for Museums of Science and Technology”, during ICOM first General Conference in Paris (28 June-03 July 1948). The reorganisation of CIMUSET was during a meeting in National Technical Museum in Prague (2 to 6 October 1972).

The CIMUSET Presidents since 1946:

1949-1953 (Paris) & 1953-1956 (Genoa, Milan and Bergamo):André LÉVEILLÉ, (Director of Palais de la Découverte, France)

1956-1959 (Basle, Zurich, Geneva) & 1959-1962 (Stockholm) : Torsten ALTHIN, (Director of the Technical Museum of Sweden)

1962-1965 (Hague): Frank TAYLOR, (Director of Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian Institution, USA)

1965-1971 (New York): William Thomas O’DEA, (Director of Ontario Centennial Centre of Science and Technology, Canada)

1971-1974 (Paris-Grenoble) & 1974-1977 (Copenhagen): Joseph KUBA (Director of the National Technical Museum, Czech Rep.)

1977- 1980 (Leningrad-Moscow) & 1980- 1983 (Mexico): Theo STILLGER (Director of Deutschen Museum, Germany)

1983 – 1989 (London): Joseph KUBA, (Director of the National Technical Museum, Czech Rep.)

1989 – 1992 (The Hague): Torleif LINDVEIT, (Director National Technical Museum, Norway)

1992-1995 (Québec): Jenns BREINEGARD, (Director of Danich Technical Museum, Danemark)

1995 -1998 (Stavanger): Patrick GREENE (Director of Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, UK)

1998-2001 (Melbourne): Michael DAUSKARDT (Director Westfalisches Freilichtmuseum Hagen- Germany)

2001-2004 (Barcelona): Paul DONAHUE (Director of Museum Services, Canada Science & Technology Museum, Canada )

2004-2007 (Seoul) & 2007-2010 (Vienna) : Bernard BLACHE, (Director of Public Relations, Palais de la Découverte, France)

2010-2013 (Shanghai) & 2013-2016 (Rio De Janeiro): Mis Jytte THORNDAHL, (Curator, Energimuseet, Denmark)

2016-2019 (Milan) & 2019-2022 (Kyoto): Ech-cherki DAHMALI, (Director of  Maroc Telecom Museum, Morocco)

CIMUSET  expands

In 1977, the meeting was held in Leningrad and Moscow. The President of the Board was Theo Stillger (RFA), V.J. Danilov (USA) and A.Bose (India) as Vice-Presidents, G.Gottman (RFA) as Secretary and Charles Penel as Treasurer.

On 20 of June 1979, a meeting was held in Paris with Jacques Perot (then Vice-Président of ICOM) to create various sections of CIMUSET: CIMUSET-Europe, CIMUSET-Asia and CIMUSET- Africa.

The London meeting was held from 25 to 30 July 1983 in association with transport museums. Joseph Kuba took the place of Theo Stillger, V.J.Danilov and S. Ghose were Vice-Presidents, Dieter Schultz became Secretary, the Treasurer was Charles Penel.

In 1989 in The Hague, Torleif Lindveit was elected President and Gurgen Grigorian replaced Saroj Ghose as Vice-President, Joel N.Bloom (President and Director of Franklin Institute in Philadelphia) was also Vice-President, Jens Breinegaard Secretary, Dominique Ferriot, Treasurer.

During the Triennial Assembly in Quebec (1992) Jens Breinegaard became President, Paul Donahue and Gurgen Grigorian were Vice-Presidents, Patrick Greene Secretary and Peter Rebernik Treasurer. In Stavenger in 1995, Patrick Greene became President with Michael Dauskardt taking over in 1998 in Melbourne.

The 21st Century: the change of millennium was marked by the meeting of Paris in 2000. In 2001 Paul F. Donahue became President during the general assembly in Barcelona. The meeting of Ljubljana, chaired by the President of ICOM, Jacques Perot, in 2003 was organised by three committees: MPR (Marketing and Public Relations) ICTOP (Training) and CIMUSET. Bernard Blache was elected president in 2004 at the conference held in Seoul, Korea. The presidential mantle was passed on to Mis Jytte Thorndahl at the Triennial conference in Shanghai, China in 2010.

In 2016 Ech cherki DAHMALI, Director of Maroc Telecom Museum in Morocco was the first African President of CIMUSET since its creation in 1946. In 2017 CIMUSET organized its 45th Conference in Morocco, it’s the  first African country to host a CIMUSET activity.