Photo Museum

What if photographs could talk? What stories would they whisper from their aged frames at the Photo Museum? Here at the Photo Museum in Port Louis, Mauritius, the whispers are almost audible. The Photo Museum, housed in a cozy 18th-century French colonial building, isn’t just a museum. It’s a time capsule. It’s a love letter to the art of photography. Inside, you’ll find a treasure trove of cameras, projectors, scripts, and photographs, some dating back to 1840. This collection reflects the passion of Marie Noelle and Tristan Bréville. They dedicated their lives to preserving thousands of negatives, documents, authentic frames, and photographic equipment. One of the museum’s crown jewels is its collection of 28 daguerreotypes. These were the first photographs created in Mauritius by Ferdinand Wörhnitz, a Mauritian of German origin, using a process invented by Jacques Daguerre in 1839. They offer a glimpse into the island’s past, a world captured on copper plates coated with silver. The Photo Museum also houses a petrol-operated projector, a precursor to the television. There’s a Gaumont stereoscopic apparatus and projectors from 1913. You’ll see the press machine and script from Mauritius’s first local newspaper (1773). A unique photograph captures Indian laborers arriving at Aapravasi Ghat in 1857. Another frame shows the first airplane landing at Mon Choisy beach from Reunion Island in 1933. The Photo Museum in Port Louis is more than just a collection of old photographs and equipment. It’s a testament to the Brévilles’ dedication to preserving Mauritius’ photographic heritage. It’s a place where history comes alive, whispering stories from the past through the lens of time.