Chefs-d’œuvre en péril, émission de défense du patrimoine et d’une certaine vision de la France

Abstract

Chefs-d’œuvre en péril (‘masterpieces in peril’) was a programme broadcast on French public television from 1964 to 1991 and the first programme specifically dedicated to the tangible cultural heritage. The public appreciated it for its original tone and its topics, the defence of endangered monuments. Its creator, the radio journalist Pierre de Lagarde, asserted that many remarkable monuments were witnessing obliteration throughout the country. The causes, he said, were numerous: general neglect, inefficient administrative services, insufficient private patronage and, most of all, a general lack of interest from the public. Pierre de Lagarde understood that the new mass media that was television was a way of mobilising opinion. To do so, he resorted to discursive and audio-visual processes to create the audience’s emotion. Chefs-d’œuvre en péril was a very personal programme reflecting its creator’s preference’s for France’s aristocratic and catholic heritage. His discourse reflected extremely conservative opinions about the national territory, architecture and society. The programme appeared at a time of profound changes in France and the journalist showed many of his concerns and his opposition to change. The programme met with considerable success during the first years, but its author was increasingly marginalised. Chefs d’œuvre en peril is now however an integral part of television memory and is still considered as an inspiration by many TV journalists, directors and producers.

Keywords

• media history
• destruction of heritage
• history of heritage
• built religious heritage
• heritage restoration
• sensibilisation