Amazing discovery
History
At the end of the war, in 1918, Paul Thuillier-Buridard, Mayor of Vignacourt, did a promise to honor the Allied soldiers' graves, who fought for our liberty and to keep in mind their sacrifice.
In 1988, Michel Hubau, Mayor of Vignacourt honored this promise by dedicating two of our streets to Australia : "General Martin street" and "Australians street".
On this occasion, an exhibition were organised. Robert Thuillier still alive at this moment entrusted his friend Robert Crognier, photographer, to develop a few photos from the collection.
In 1990, Laurent Mirouze, passionnate for the WW1 history, was in Vignacourt and saw the photos in the town hall. Thanks to his passion and tenacity for the subject to speak about this story, he will meet an Australian TV channel "Seven Network". They came to do a report about the collection in 2011. The Louis et Antoinette Thuillier collection has been discovered in the attic of the farmhouse.
In 2012 , the Youth Centre of Vignacourt organise its first ANZAC DAY and inaugurate the "Maison des Australiens" (in the old railway station of Vignacourt) with a display of some photos from the collection. The Australian and French high degree of interest for the collection makes the township realize it is essential to do something else to highlight this collection. The Thuillier farmhouse is for sale. The township decide to purchase the farm.
The Interpretive Centre project is born
In the attic of the Thuillier farmhouse
In the attic of the Thuillier farmhouse, 4000 glass plates of negatives were stored for 100 years. These plates were carefully stored in trunks by Antoinette after the war, waiting to be discovered and to show their beauty.