Blue Penny Museum – Coins, Art and History
On one of my visits to Port Louis, Mauritius’ capital, I came upon one of the city’s historical gems dedicated entirely to Mauritius. The Blue Penny Museum is Mauritius’ most well-known museum, housing a valuable historical collection and illustrating the island’s rich past. It takes you on a journey through Mauritius’ history, colonial period, and development over time. Although photography is not permitted inside, you should still go because of the remarkable collections, it contains, which are an authentic testament to Mauritius’ historical and cultural variety, presented in an exquisite arrangement.
The museum, which opened in 2001, was created with an unwavering focus on excellence in the selection of items on exhibit, written descriptions and creation of interpretive aids. This museum allows you to travel back in time, to the era of great Indian Ocean maritime expeditions before moving on to an overview of Mauritius’ three colonial periods. Your voyage into the past continues with a visit to 18th and 19th century Port Louis.
The chronicle of the history of postal services follows, beginning with the first postage stamps produced in Mauritius, the world-famous Post Office stamps. The museum tour concludes with the lovely yet tragic narrative of Paul and Virginie, a mythological couple.
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Highlights from the Blue Penny Museum
The Blue Penny Museum is scornful of the two 1847 issues of the iconic Post Office stamp, regarded as the two most valuable artefacts in the world of philately. The unused one penny orange-red stamps and one of the four unpracticed two pence indigo-blue stamps in existence are the most remarkable exhibits in the museum. The two philatelic jewels are currently on display at the Blue Penny Museum.
Historical maritime charts, stamps, paintings, sculptures, engravings, and old documents are among the treasures in the Blue Penny Museum’s collection, which highlight the Mauritian culture. The museum’s Souvenir Shop also has a unique selection of high-quality Mauritius keepsakes, including specifically designed posters, postcards, decorative objects, and stationery.
Exhibits at the Blue Penny Museum
The Age of Discovery: This room offers a glimpse into the realm of Indian Ocean navigation.
The Island Builders: The museum’s second chamber provides a wide overview of the island’s colonial history.
Port Louis, a leading city: The third room has a collection of historic photographs and maps that will transport you back in time to the 18th and 19th century Port Louis.
The Postal Adventure: The museum tour continues into a chamber that provides a general overview of Mauritius’ postal history.
Engraved Memory Room: This area will provide you with additional information about how the stamp engraving originated in Mauritius.
Paul & Virginie Room: Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-classic Pierre’s work Paul & Virginie is indelibly identified with Mauritius, and the mythological romance of these two lovers is a masterpiece of international literature.
Blue Penny Museum Boutique
The Blue Penny Museum’s store has a wide selection of souvenirs. The museum’s store features a complete line of merchandise inspired by Mauritian Post Office stamps, the country’s most valuable cultural asset. The staff at the Blue Penny Museum’s store in Port Louis are happy to assist the tourists that visit the museum in picking from the different goods offered. T-shirts, bookmarks, hats, soap, pencils, and key rings inspired by the Blue Penny and Red Vermilion may be found there for philately fans.
The museum’s store also offers exquisite beech wood shelves, ship models, postcards, table mats, posters, replicas of engravings and prints, as well as handicrafts and a variety of books on Mauritius, which are all fantastic treasures to be bought and shared. The items of the Blue Penny Museum are inspired by the MCB’s history collection. It is one of the most prominent collections in the country, and it houses important pieces of Mauritian art and history, including those on display at the museum.
The boutique’s wares are a one-of-a-kind and original collection of Mauritian souvenirs designed with meticulous attention to quality and perfection.
Postcards: Rs 30 onwards
The Bradshaw Series: In the early nineteenth century, British artist Bradshaw created beautiful views of several parts of Mauritius. The Must-Have Collection: The museum’s best works are reproduced Les Magasins L by Thuillier; Paul et Virginie, escorted by Fidele, by Beaume; and Comberworth, the general map of the Indian Ocean, by Van Linschoten and Van Langren. Paintings by Thuillier, Nash, and Richard depict the Ruisseau du Pouce, Place d’Armes and the French East India Company Garden. A set of ten greeting cards featuring Mauritius’ native wildlife as well as copies from the museum’s collection is available.
The Post Office Collection
The two 1847 Post Office Mauritius stamps inspired this collection, which includes a wide range of things. At a price of Rs595 and Rs495 respectively, many types of men’s and women’s polo shirts and T-shirts are available. At Rs825, you may get a set of bath towels, hand towels, and a washcloth. 50 rupees for aerogrammes Cufflinks are priced at Rs 400. 450 rupees for a men’s wallet. Rs 160 for a keyring. Rs 250 for a visitor’s cardholder. At Rs 150, you may get a notebook/sketchbook.
A variety of posters are offered for Rs 30 each. Fiebig’s series of four lithographs depicting panoramic views costs Rs 920. The museum sells individual lithographs of various masterpieces for Rs 345 each. At Rs 575, mini-lithographs of Art 7 botanique or Paul et Virginie.
Blue Penny Book Collection
The Blue Penny museum gives you access to books like Cyclones Longtemps – the history of resilience to cyclones; Séga, témoignages Anciens et récents; La BoutikSinoi, a catalogue of various photographs representing traditional Chinese shops in Mauritius; Striker, Carrom, l’histoire d’un jeu qui demeure une énigme; Treasury of Endemic Fauna of Mauritius and Rodrigues, Lémuria, le continent disparu de l’océan Indien; Cartes postales du passé at Rs 1,500; Maurice d’Antan – 19th century photographs from the Blue Penny Museum’s collection; Des artistes et des maires; and Paul, Virginie et Bernardin; histoire d’un mythe.
The museum allows visitors, particularly youngsters, to correlate images with Mauritius’ history since its inception. So don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to broaden your and your children’s horizons while exploring Mauritius’ past. For students, the museum also organises thematic trips. As a result, the visit may concentrate on single exhibition space. The museum’s many display rooms allow for the research of several different subjects and can be customised accordingly.
The typical visit lasts about an hour and will provide you with an overview of Mauritius’ history and culture in a modern and appealing setting, a striking presentation of Port Louis and its heritage through an abundance of historical testimonies on Mauritius and its capital, and the discovery of internationally significant collections such as the Blue Penny, the first edition of the novel Paul et Virginie, and the statue sculpted by Prosper d’Epinay.
The Blue Penny Museum is one of those rare venues that will offer you a fascinating peek into Mauritius’ art and history. It is consequently a must-see for everyone interested in learning more about the country. Except on Sundays and other holidays, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. On the 24th and 31st of December, the museum shuts early at 2 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., the exhibition rooms shut. At 4:30 p.m., the museum’s entrance desk and boutique close.
