Dewamin Collection: the Ministry of Economy entrusts La Reliure with a major project

6 Feb 2024

In 2023, the Center for Economic and Financial Archives (Centre des Archives Économiques et Financières – CAEF) in Savigny-le-Temple, an organization attached to the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, responsible for the conservation and promotion of the archives of the economic and financial ministries, entrusted La Reliure du Limousin with the promotion and complete restoration of the Dewamin collection.

This collection comprises more than 2,000 printed and handwritten documents, including banknotes, laws and decrees, company deeds, engravings, prints, and posters. The collection covers a period from the late 17th to the mid-20th century. It was assembled by Emile Dewamin, one of the most important collectors of modern French numismatics (1851-1919) until 1918, and then expanded by numismatist Charles Florange until 1941. Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint) acquired this collection in 1989. It was transferred to the Economic and Financial Archives Department in 2008.

Comité de l'Or et des Bons de la defense nationale

A tailor-made service for a collection of unique historical interest

The collection is stored in 18 bound albums, each with a specific theme. Each document is attached to the pages of the albums with staples or adhesive. Some are damaged from handling: tears, missing pages, or faultily reinforced parts.

Service de préservation d'une collection d'importance historique

Relever les défis de la restauration et de la numérisation

The restoration workshop is responsible for restoring each item that needs it, then digitizing the entire collection so the originals can be preserved and showcased, and finally packaging each document in individual custom-made sleeves.

There are many challenges to be faced: developing and implementing a comprehensive service ranging from restoration to packaging and digitization for a large number of items of all formats, in a collection of significant historical interest.

From restoration to digitization

The first restoration operation consists of carefully detaching each of the items attached to the pages of the albums.

Techniques de numérisation du patrimoine

The documents are then entrusted to various experts in paper restoration in order to remove reinforcements and certain resistant adhesives. The work also involves flattening creases on certain documents and locally doubling tears with 6g Japanese paper of a suitable color.

Once the restoration work is complete, the documents are sent to the Digitization Service. Each item is then digitized on a heritage scanner, calibrated by our operators to produce an image that is as close as possible to the original document. Each item is handled with care, respecting the integrity of the documents and the restoration work carried out previously.

des pochettes en polyester adaptées à chaque document

The final stage of this project is packaging. A custom-made polyester sleeve is made for each item. They are then placed in archive boxes (neutral cardboard).

collaboration pour un projet célébrant le travail des équipes

Le processus de détachement et de restauration des documents

These different stages ensure ideal preservation for this collection, but also allow it to be consulted thanks to the protection of the sleeves, and communicated and promoted online for all types of projects thanks to digitization.

The Dewamin collection has mobilized various services of the workshop and several team members around this long-term project, which has enriched everyone’s knowledge of the history of economic documents in France and elsewhere, and made them proud of this showcase of a collection of great heritage interest.

“La Rue Quincampoix” in 1720, captioned at the bottom, based on an engraving by Humblot, 37x26cm, Dewamin collection

Do you have a restoration project or a collection that needs attention? Contact La Reliure today to discuss your restoration needs.