Musical Instruments Museum (MIM), Brussels, Belgium
Cataloguing and research within RMAH framework; object records and images surfaced through Carmentis for study and citation.
ABOUT THIS COLLECTION
Founded in 1877, Brussels’ MIM presents one of the world’s most significant instrument collections — roughly 9,000–10,000 objects, with about 1,200 on view — inside the landmark Old England Art Nouveau building by Paul Saintenoy on the Mont des Arts. The four exhibition floors span ancient to modern, art-music to folk traditions, with an audio guide that lets visitors hear many instruments as they tour.
Flutes in the Collection:
Highlights include 18th-century traversi, such as an ivory Scherer flute with interchangeable upper joints (corps de rechange) for period pitch — an exemplar for organology and performance-practice study.
The museum also holds the world’s largest public Adolphe Sax family corpus, a touchpoint for 19th-century Belgian woodwind innovation that includes flutes alongside saxophones, clarinets, and related brass/woodwind hybrids.
Public Access & Visitor Experience:
On-site: Four themed floors; temporary concerts/events (e.g., chamber recitals and special programs).
Digital Access: Full collection search via Carmentis (RMAH online catalogue).