In his guide Promenades au musée de Saint-Germain, published in 1869, Gabriel de Mortillet described all the rooms open to the public. The museum visit began on the ground floor. On display, there were primarily casts of ancient monuments, such as the Arch of Constantine in Rome and reliefs of Trajan’s Column, and statues, including the statue of Augustus, as well as reconstructions of Roman war machines. There were also some original pieces, such as the wooden pirogue discovered in the Seine in Paris and the Autun mosaic.