History of the MIM

With these two original collections, the MIM was already remarkably rich for its time. But its first curator, Victor-Charles Mahillon (1841-1924) was considerably to augment its collections, thus placing it among the finest in the world.

Beginning in 1877, Mahillon created a restoration workshop in the MIM where he employed and trained a worker, Franz de Vestibule, to restore damaged articles, and also to make copies of instruments from other public collections of which no original examples existed in Brussels.

In addition, between 1880 and 1922 Mahillon described the collections of the museum in a monumental five-volume catalogue. The catalogue also includes the four versions of his "Essay on the methodical classification of all instruments, ancient and modern" that was to serve as the basis for the classifications of E.M. von Hornbostel and C. Sachs which are still used today. This classification of musical instruments entitled him to be considered as one of the pioneers of organology, the science of musical instruments.

In the 1880s historical concerts on early instruments or copies were organised by François-Auguste Gevaert, who succeeded Fétis at the head of the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory. Performed by Conservatory professors and students, these concerts were a great success in Brussels and London at the end of the 19th century.

Through astute judgment, Mahillon obtained large augmentations of the collections by calling on philanthropists, by mixing with erudite amateurs who sometimes became generous donors (e.g. César Snoeck), and through friendly relations with Belgian diplomats in foreign posts such as Jules Van Aalst at Canton (China) and Dorenberg at Puebla (Mexico), who brought back several instruments from beyond Europe.

It was thus that Mahillon received or purchased isolated pieces of great historical and organological value, but also homogeneous ensembles whose interest today is considerable. Mahillon followed all the large public sales of musical instruments and bought the pieces he needed to complete the ideal collection he was determined to build at the MIM.

At Mahillon's death in 1924, the MIM counted some 3666 articles, among which 3177 were original musical instruments. A collector and maker of wind instruments and a noted acoustics expert, Mahillon performed his job with an enthusiasm, competence and dynamism that exceeded any of the expectations that his purely honorary title might have aroused. Thanks to Mahillon's activity and connections, the museum rapidly gained international fame, not only for the quantitative importance of its collections but also for their diversity, and for the quality and rarity of the items brought together.