What is the IPM?
It is the International Perfumery Museum of Grasse, re-opened on 18th October 2008, during the year of its 90th anniversary, after improvement and restoration work lasting 4 years. The first private Museum was in fact founded in 1918, the work of François Carnot, with the vision of creating an area reserved for all sectors of the fragrance industry. It was in 1989 that the International Perfumery Museum opened its doors to the general public, who could finally discover the history and the characteristics of the professions linked to Fragrance, a living memory of social changes and testimony of historical ages.
The restoration is the work of the architect Frédéric Jung, who wanted to change the static model of the Museum in the 70’s to create a structure immersed in the past and future history of the city of Grasse. The IPM proposes itself as a testimony of the professional path followed by the craftsmen of Grasse, firstly only artisan and then becoming industrial, from the tanning of perfumed gloves in the 17th century, gradually through difficult times and historical and cultural changes, up until current day reality. The ideal bridge between ancient and modern, between history and new scientific and technological frontiers, the Museum is made up of a very old part, an 18th century hotel (l’hotel Pontevès) restored for the occasion, and a modern structure, which together create an exhibition area of over 3.000 m2 for visitors.
What can we find there?
 A collection of over 50.000 objects(some examples are exceptional) related to fragrance, which cover a period of time of about 4.000 years and come from all continents: bottles dating back to ancient Egypt, to the classic Greek world and to antique Rome; a famous travellers casket belonging to Maria Antonietta …
 The Garden of the 18th and 19th century, which develops within an area of 800 m 2: in the oldest part it is possible to find rose and citrus plants, fountains and round lakes; in the part dedicated to the 19th century, plants which have made history in the fragrance industry and constitute the pride of Grasse are presented: the rose and jasmine.
 The press room, where mechanisation, industrialisation and line production typical of the 19th century are presented, for the bottles, the essences and the labels. Parallel to this area is a section dedicated to the people who worked in these plants, the “blue collar” and “white collar” workers, in a testimony as to the living and working conditions in those times in the Grasse industries.
 The court of aromas, a dynamic trail following the eternal search for new fragrances, from the fist perfumed compositions, through the discovery of synthetic molecules in the 19° century, up until the new techniques such gas chromatography (which allows the analysis of compositions from a mixture of odours) and Head Space.
 The eternal Garden is the modern day equivalent of the Garden in the 18th and 19th centuries: it develops along the theme of bottling materials, glass bottles and modern industrial packaging. Composed of five sculptures, it is a place where odours, trails, resting places and contemplative moments, transport visitors into a magical atmosphere like that of a garden, whatever the season.
What cultural activities are proposed?
Olfactory and tasting animated activities for all types of public: school children (about 5.000 a year), fragrance industry professionals, tourists, students etc…
Conferences on fragrance, the perfumery and all connected themes, as this discipline isn’t seen as a simple industrial activity or a science but rather as a true art form, whose protagonists are vary varied figures: fragrance creators, bottle and packaging designers, but also Raw Material producers, glass makers. Above and beyond the richness of its own collections, the IPM proposes themed exhibitions, animations for schools, involvement in national projects, participation in specialised shows. Parallel to the main pathway, a programme linked to contemporary art is proposed with temporary exhibitions, shows and readings which present the work of artists related to the world of perfume. A Documentation Centre and Library, which are to be extended and made accessible to researchers.
Who is responsible for the realisation of this project?
As well as the City of Grasse Council and the numerous artists and professionals who have collaborated in order to give life to the IPM, it is also thanks to Madame Marie-Christine Grasse. Curator of the Museums of the City of Grasse and head of the IPM since 1990, from the Art and History Museum in the Provence and from the Villa-Museum Fragonard she graduated in Art and Archaeological History as well as Ancient civilisation and Middle Ages History.
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