Dr. Dolard (bust – 2013) Stoneware – approx. 40 cm
This sculpture depicts Dr. Dolard, a quiet yet pivotal figure in the social history of Villeurbanne in the late 19th century. A dedicated physician, he worked tirelessly to improve the living conditions of blind people, long before their place in society was recognized.
In the 1890s, while the institution founded by Jacques Hugentobler was already caring for deaf and mute children, government authorities requested the opening of a section for blind youth. Dr. Dolard, an active and visionary administrator, played a decisive role: he supported the creation of vocational workshops (brush-making, cane work, basketry, instrument tuning), thereby offering the blind true independence upon leaving school.
His commitment went beyond charity: he advocated for inclusion, dignity, and the right to work. Even today, his name remains linked to the history of the Gallieni Center, the heir to this pioneering work.
The bust I created in 2013 has been on display since June 2014 in our apartment complex, Le Carré des Arts, at No. 5 on the small street that bears his name. It stands there as a modest reminder that social action can also be visionary.
Marie Léon Dolard, born on September 13, 1863, in Vonnas, Ain department,
. Physician at the Jacob Hugentobler Institution (now the Gallieni School) in Villeurbanne. An institution specializing in the education of the deaf and mute and the visually impaired. Died in 1919.
With the help of the staff at the Villeurbanne Municipal Archives, I found three photos of Dr. Dolard,
One facing forward, and two others in profile, showing him at work as an educator.
