Essilor, an insight into the past
Institution
Essilor
Expertise implemented
Heritage strategy audit and consulting
Managing heritage assets
Preventive conservation
Background
Challenges
Towards the end of the merger process with Luxottica, Essilor began an extensive project to work on its collections. By bringing its heritage to life, the brand and group capitalised on its rich industrial history spanning over 170 years. In 2020, Arkhênum was tasked with appraising, securing and enhancing this heritage collection.
(Re)discovering the brand archives
170 Years of History Unveiled
Essilor’s rich heritage collection
This heritage collection consists of paper documents, photographs, audio-visual resources, and objects, including POS advertising, tools, machines and glasses and compasses.
Essilor at the heart of innovation
The archives, testimony to this spirit of innovation
This particular heritage requires a keen eye. A committee of heritage experts collaborated with Arkhênum’s teams to describe the optical tools no longer in use today.
Preserving the past, organizing the future
Physical and intellectual work began in 2021, covering the paper archives, spanning around 100 linear metres, and over 7,000 objects. This included 300 scientific instruments and tools for vision and precision, and an extensive eyewear collection (glasses and lenses) comprising several thousand items.
To address this large-scale project, Arkhênum is conducting a heritage strategy audit, creating an inventory and implementing scientific procedures. This work considers future integration into an internal database, a strategic objective that has been part of the project methodology from the outset.
Our missions: To inspire and sustain
- Auditing and stocktaking
- Diagnosis and recommendations
- Preventive conservation of inventory: dust removal and pollution treatment, condition assessments, marking, inventory, reconditioning.
- Identifying items to be restored
- Selecting appropriate items to be digitised
The Essilor Group intends to take a new look at its heritage. We have embarked on an ambitious project to work on our collection and renew our heritage management tools. We have made an appropriate choice of partner in Arkhênum, who have been professional, discreet and efficient from the consulting phases to the inventory and digitisation work. Arkhênum is now providing long-term support with a real strategic vision, perfectly in line with our challenges and requirements.
Benoit Giraud – Heritage Project Manager
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