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The 1 June 2020
Once Upon a Time: Rue de Thionville
Over the years, Rue de Thionville has seen its share of stories… Before the renovation of the buildings that would become the future Institut pour la photographie, we wanted to look back on the history of these walls.
An inaugural exhibition on the history of the building took place as part of IN SEARCH OF , between September 10 and November 15, 2020.
The bequest of the townhouse at No. 11 to the City of Lille
Victor Casimir Lorent Lescornez, owner of 11 rue de Thionville since 1900, bequeathed his mansion to the City of Lille in November 1912: “ provided it is used for the benefit of a charitable organization ". He died on January 10, 1913, at the age of 71.
“The deceased, who was a highly distinguished industrialist and was universally esteemed by his colleagues and all who knew him, was also an avid traveler. Every year, he would travel far away for several months, and his last trip took him to the Levant, China, and Japan. (…) His vast library and rare collections were admired by all who came to see them. (…) In accordance with the deceased’s last will and testament, his property, located at 11 rue de Thionville, will be bequeathed to the City of Lille, along with a sum of 500,000 francs intended for the city to acquire the building so that it may be used for charitable purposes. The generous donor, who had done much good throughout his life, wished, even after his death, to continue helping the poor and the underprivileged in his city.”
The Founding of the Valentine Labbé School for Girls
On June 24, 1920, Edmond Labbé, the first director general of the Under-Secretariat of State for Technical Education, authorized the establishment of a practical school of commerce and industry for young women.
“The Public Education Commission reviewed the proposal for the new home economics school. It noted with satisfaction that this matter had been thoroughly studied during the war and that, in broad terms, it was fully developed (…) It hopes that the Administration will establish the home economics school in the building on Rue de Thionville, which could be adapted for this purpose. This would avoid incurring double setup costs.”
It opened in April 1921 at 11 Rue de Thionville with about sixty girls enrolled.
“The practical school for home economics and vocational training for young women is both a very useful and very pleasant institution. This school, located on Rue de Thionville, is run by Miss Fauché. It has been open since April 1 and already has about twenty students who attend classes during the day. In the evening, about sixty young women come to complete their home economics or vocational training.”
In June 1944, a Resistance printing press at No. 11
In June 1944, the attic at 11 Rue de Thionville served as a printing press for leaflets produced by the National Council of the Resistance.
“Around June 1944, a search was conducted at Ernest’s house. I was ordered to go see Mademoiselle d’Estrées, the principal of the Valentine Labbé School. She welcomed me very kindly and provided us with a magnificent attic in the school’s annex. I still wonder how we managed to move all our supplies onto a cart attached to my bicycle, take it across nearly the entire city, and then haul it back up Rue de Thionville. The janitor, Mr. Pluquet, showed us the rooms where we set up our supplies. Whenever we were there, he would come to ring the bell if there was any danger. We would then hide our papers and spread out the corrected summer homework assignments that Mademoiselle d’Estrées had given us.”
Valentine Labbé School Is Expanding
In 1944, the first national baccalaureate exam session took place. For the City of Lille, the Modern Studies track—for candidates whose names began with A and K—and the Philosophy and Sciences track were held at the Valentine Labbé School. That same year, the City of Lille acquired the building at 7 Rue de Thionville to expand the school, which already included buildings at numbers 11 and 9. In the 1960s, the school became coeducational, and physics and chemistry courses were added to the curriculum.
Lalo High School and the CIO
In 1970, the Valentine Labbé Technical High School moved to Rue Paul Doumer in La Madeleine. The Edouard Lalo Vocational High School opened its doors and closed in June 2011:
“40 years dedicated to educating the hundreds of young people who have passed through our home”
Originally a facility dedicated to youth training and education, the premises were subsequently occupied by the CIO (Information and Career Guidance Center) and the GIP FCIP (Public Interest Group for Continuing Education and Professional Integration) until June 2019.