Andrew Kotchoubey devoted more than 35 years to the American Friends of Blérancourt as a dedicated Board member and Treasurer. His unwavering commitment, remarkable intellect, and lifelong spirit of service helped shape our organization and strengthen the enduring bonds of Franco-American friendship.

Through a conversation with Valérie Lagier, Chief Curator of the Franco-American Museum at the Château de Blérancourt, we explore how Anne Morgan’s collections and the museum’s works of art preserve the memory of American Independence and 250 years of Franco-American history.

Reporting from Paris, Dorothea de La Houssaye, President of American Friends of Blérancourt, takes us behind the scenes with the first cohort of Lafayette Scholars during exceptional visits to the Fondation Cartier and the Louvre.

As the United States celebrates 250 years, we celebrate the birth of a nation, the strength of its ideals, and the enduring Franco-American friendship that has helped shape both sides of the Atlantic.

What drove a young Marquis de Lafayette to cross the Atlantic in support of the American Revolution? And how did Benjamin Franklin become France's most beloved American? Valérie Lagier, chief curator at the Franco-American Museum in Blérancourt, explores the origins of a friendship between two nations that has endured for 250 years.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, the French-American Museum at the Château de Blérancourt presents a special exhibition exploring the American Revolutionary War and the birth of Franco-American friendship. Through rare paintings, sculptures, archives, and a recently rediscovered work depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the exhibition traces the historic ties that united France and the young American nation.

To mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Musée franco-américain du château de Blérancourt presents a new exhibition exploring the American War of Independence through exceptional paintings, drawings, sculptures, and decorative arts from its collections. Discover the ties between France and the United States through the figures, symbols, and historic moments that shaped a shared history.

In 1907, the United States counted 46 states. Arizona and New Mexico had not yet been admitted into the Union (they would in 1912), nor were Hawaii and Alaska (1959).

In that same year, Anne Morgan, daughter of financier J.P. Morgan, first traveled to France, marking the beginning of a lifelong commitment that would lead her to support the country during World War I through humanitarian and fundraising efforts.

A weekly conversation with Valérie Lagier, chief curator of the Franco-American Museum of Château de Blérancourt.

France's defeat in the Seven Years' War (1763) came at a heavy price: the loss of vast North American territories to Great Britain and a navy left in ruins. Yet while the map had changed, French communities across the continent held on to their language and their identity. For the French Kingdom, the humiliation carried a clear lesson: Britain's supremacy had been won at sea. Rebuilding the navy became the priority, and when the American colonies began their revolt against the Crown, France saw its opportunity. This is how Versailles and the French supported the American War of Independence.

A weekly conversation with Valérie Lagier, chief curator of the Franco-American Museum of Château de Blérancourt

When General Pershing arrived in Paris in 1917, the first thing he did was visit Lafayette's tomb. The gesture of Americans honoring the Frenchman who helped them win their independence is exactly the spirit on which the Franco-American Museum of Blérancourt was built. A gift from Anne Morgan to France to tell the story through art of a complex and unique 250-year-old relationship.

A weekly conversation with Valérie Lagier, chief curator of the Franco-American Museum of Château de Blérancourt.

On November 8, 2019, French philanthropist and art expert Hélène David-Weill was awarded the 2019 Anne Morgan’s Women of Courage Award at the American Friends of Blérancourt Annual Gala in New York.

While women leaders, artists, chefs, and entrepreneurs were honored throughout the evening, the American Friends of Blérancourt also recognized the men who have promoted not only the memory of Anne Morgan—who donated her home in France to become the only Franco-American Museum—but who also strongly believe in a world of equal opportunities and diversity. Among them is Jay R. Paul, a former publicist and a member of the board of AFB upon whom was bestowed the Château de Blérancourt Award.

The American Friends of Blérancourt was honored to be a part of a special evening at Versailles on June 28th, 2019, to commemorate the Treaty of Versailles and to celebrate American philanthropy in the regions devastated during and after World War I.

On Wednesday, June 12th, 2019, Franck Laverdin, Chairman of the American Friends of Blérancourt (AFB), Pamela Johananoff, Board Member, and Matthew Adell hosted the summer kick-off party for their annual gala next November 8, 2019 in New York.