Barges in the port of Dunkirk. End of 19th century. Photo by Falciny. Port Museum Collection.
The story of Guilde, a barge built for canals of the size of the Freycinet system, illustrates various different stages in the development of inland navigation and life on the canals during the twentieth century.
Built in 1929, in the Rousseau yard at Sotteville-lez-Rouen, Guilde was first owned by a shipping company who used her mainly for the transport of coal and sand. The barge, which at this time had no engine, was hauled along the embankment by mechanical tractors.
In 1959 a working bargee couple, Michel and Yvette Guilbert, bought Guilde.
It was they who named the boat Guilde; a contraction of the first syllable of their respective surnames, Guilbert-Delissnyder.
In 1961 the Guilberts panelled the interior of the hold, which meant they were able to diversify and protect the goods they carried (grain, sugar, fertiliser etc.). In 1963 they decided to modernise the boat. An engine was installed and the couple began work on transforming the interior, making the living space much more comfortable and relatively more spacious.
In 1974 Michel and Yvette Guilbert brought Guilde up to international standards. They were then able to journey to the farthest countries of northern Europe.
Affected by the streamlining of inland shipping, the barge ended her career in 1992. Rescued by the Musée Portuaire, it was saved from the breaker’s yard.
It now houses an exhibition which shows the importance of inland waterways in the transport chain and illustrates the work and daily life of mariners on board a barge.
Inside of the hold of Guilde, now converted into an exhibition space.