Exhibition Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ, founder of the Alpine Botanical Garden La Jaÿsinia

This temporary exhibition at the Maison de la Jaÿsinia, at the foot of the Alpine Botanical Garden, traces the fascinating life of Samoëns-born Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ.

The exhibition highlights the career of Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ (1838-1925), from her humble beginnings in the hamlet of Le Villard to the creation of La Samaritaine department store in Paris, and her philanthropic and local involvement, including the founding of La Jaÿsinia Alpine Botanical Garden.

Set up in the La Jaÿsinia garden guest house, this temporary exhibition is a living tribute to one of Samoëns' most emblematic figures. From working in a small Paris boutique, Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ became co-founder, with her husband Ernest Cognacq, of the famous store La Samaritaine. The exhibition also explores her after-sales work: the creation of the alpine botanical garden La Jaÿsinia, erected in 1906 on the site where she once kept goats.

The garden has become a scientific, landscaping and community center, donated to the commune and managed with the support of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. The exhibition also includes previously unpublished documents, compiled by Michel Gaudin (author) and Alain Lachaud (local historian), which bear witness to her life, her philanthropic commitments (such as the creation of maternity hospitals, nurseries, vacation camps and a public interest foundation as early as 1916), and her attachment to her native region.

Complément de localisation

Pedestrian access only.