French Lines & Compagnie

French Lines & Compagnies is a public cultural cooperation institution that was founded in 2017 by the city of Le Havre and the Normandy Regional Authority. French Lines aims to preserve and showcase the history and heritage of the French Merchant Navy, together with its companies and ports. The institute manages the historical archives of the French shipping companies Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM) and Société Nationale Corse Méditerranée (SNCM), which superseded the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes. French Lines’ activities may also be extended to preserving the heritage of any other French shipping companies. To showcase this exceptional heritage, the institute carries out a range of cultural, scientific and educational activities, including programming conferences and screenings, producing publications, loaning exhibits or organising travelling exhibitions.