Eugène Vaillé

Eugène Vaillé (10 August 1875, Bédarieux, Hérault - 1959, Riols) was a French postal historian and the first curator of the postal museum of France, now La Poste's Museum, from 1946 to 1955.

Born in Hérault, Vaillé was a Doctor of Law. In 1920, he was hired by the Minister of Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones as a librarian. During this following decade, he managed the central library of the PTT.

In 1936, he convinced PTT Minister Georges Mandel to restart the project to create a postal museum ; the first one took place late 19th-early 20th century. Even if the economic crisis of the 1930s and World War II prevented any concrete action, Vaillé inventoried the collections and material available in the French posts' archives and libraries. In 1943, he became president of the future museum's ruling board.

On 4 June 1946, he became its first curator with the inaugural of the Postal Museum of France. The museum was installed in the Choiseul-Praslin residence in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. He retired in 1955.

A French postal historian, he was elected titulary member of the Académie de philatélie in 1938, then was entitled honorary member in 1955. He is known for the writing of a "General History of the French Posts" in seven volumes, published between 1947 and 1955.

He wrote fables under the pseudonym of Jean Coulanges.

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