Behind the scenes: From Paris with Radio Luxembourg treasures

May 28, 2025

As part of our ongoing research for the upcoming Radio Luxembourg: The Station that Changed Our World exhibition (Spring 2026, Villa Louvigny), our team recently travelled to Paris to explore the audio archives of Radio Luxembourg’s French service at RTL France.

We listened to over 50 audio archives – broadcasts that once delivered the most significant news of the 20th century directly into people’s homes. From the strikes and revolts of May ‘68, to the death of Elvis Presley, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, these recordings will help shape the narrative of our immersive exhibition experience.

While in Paris, we were also welcomed by one of the station’s most passionate fans: journalist Laurent Marsick. Over the years, Laurent has built an extraordinary private collection of Radio Luxembourg memorabilia – items he has hunted down, preserved, and kept both at the RTL offices and at home. Among his treasures were original photos of French music icons who visited the station in the 60s and 70s (Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Vartan, Serge Gainsbourg, Mireille Mathieu, and more), vintage RTL-button radios, microphones used by historic presenters, magazines, vinyls, and even a customized RTL purse!

After exploring his shelves at the office, we continued our journey to his home, where more discoveries awaited. We were only able to bring back as much as we could fit in the car – but what we brought back is priceless.

We extend our warmest thanks to Laurent Marsick for his generosity, his passion for Radio Luxembourg, and his trust in our project. Encounters like these remind us that this exhibition is not just about broadcasting history, it’s about the people who lived it, preserved it, and continue to cherish it.