Restoration work is underway
on Georges Méliès's grave
following damage.
ATTENTION
Please do not touch the chains or the bollard on the left-hand side.
A Brief History of the Grave
of Georges Méliès
at Père Lachaise Cemetery
We found at Père Lachaise a grave in very poor condition, an exact replica of the one Eugénie had installed: same slab, same limestone, same pylons and chains. (see photo opposite)
Georges Méliès’s grave was, like the one you see, a simple slab of Euville limestone, put in place by Eugénie Génin on a perpetual concession she had acquired in 1881 for her mother. Eugénie was only 14 years old at the time.
In 1954, Fanny, second wife of Georges Méliès, commissioned a bronze bust from the Italian sculptor and founder Renato Carvillani (1896–1972).
Dr Malthête, husband of Madeleine (Georges’s granddaughter), donated the stele intended to hold the bust.
The inauguration took place in December 1954.
The Magician Artists quickly offered
a large and heavy metal basket.
Unfortunately, it was stolen, as were the chains.
Time goes by ...
The Restoration (2019 – 2022)
In spring 2019, Pauline Méliès, great-great-granddaughter of Georges, launched a crowdfunding campaign to restore her ancestor’s grave.
Nearly 700 donors helped raise a little over €40,000.
This financial success made it possible to fund not only the restoration, but also the complete re-engraving of the inscriptions on the grave and the stele.
All legal heirs naturally gave their consent.
The Emergence of New Concerns
In March 2024, biological deposits (mosses and lichens) began to appear on the grave.
This was anticipated, as this area of the cemetery, very shaded and damp, encourages their growth.
The coating applied to the stele is generally resistant to the resurgence of verdigris, although a few traces are reappearing.
This is a problem that will need to be monitored in the coming years.
On the other hand, the treatment of the bust has been very effective: the verdigris streaks that once covered the stele have been completely removed.
This is a very satisfactory result.
The Biocidal Treatment
Père Lachaise Cemetery prohibits any aggressive chemical treatment of monuments (statues, bronzes, ironwork, stone, etc.).
Only environmentally friendly treatments are permitted.
Biocidal products fall into this category.
Initially scheduled for October, the treatment could only be carried out in mid-December due to heavy rainfall, which rendered any intervention ineffective.
Photographs taken in October (when the grave was soaked) and in December (after a few dry days) show the change.
The biocidal treatment of the stele could not be carried out: the contractor observed detachment of the coating on the lower right-hand side.
The left-hand corner pylon was still perfectly in place at that time.
The Damage
On 21 January 2025, Pauline Méliès visited the grave and, to her dismay, discovered significant damage:
The left-hand pylon had come loose, was leaning dangerously, the front chain had detached, and someone had tried to put everything back… as best they could.
Several specialists (a metalworker, a stonemason, professionals in historic monuments, etc.) were consulted.
A likely scenario is that someone leaned on the post or the chain — for example, to take a selfie with Méliès’s bust in the background.
The eyelet holding the chain broke, most likely due to an internal weakness in the fixing screw and corrosion.
The result is disastrous.
The Restoration Work
As of today (end of March 2025), all repair quotes have been approved.
The left-hand corner of the tombstone, which has been cracked for a long time, will receive a stone graft.
The anchoring of the pylon there will be significantly reinforced.
The chains will be removed, treated (metal-coated), and reinstalled.
The broken pylon, along with its eyelet, will be remade, reinforced, welded, metal-coated, and put back in place.
Pylons and chains will be treated with anti-corrosion coating and painted grey.
Work will begin in the course of April, with completion hoped for by the end of June.
By checking this page, you will be regularly updated on the progress of the work.
Thank you for your interest in this memorial site
dedicated to Georges Méliès.