The Dewamin collection , a historical collection of over 2,000 printed and handwritten documents including banknotes, laws and decrees, company deeds, engravings, prints and posters, has been fully developed. The collection spans the period from the late 17th century 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, then added to by the numismatist Charles Florange until 1941. The Monnaie de Paris acquired this collection in 1989. It was transferred to the Service des archives économiques et financières in 2008.
As Théophile de Bonnaventure, Managing Director of La Reliure du Limousin, points out: “This project has enabled us to combine our expertise in heritage restoration, heritage digitisation and cultural enhancement, offering a tailor-made solution for a collection of unique historical interest.
The heritage digitisation process
The process began with the meticulous restoration of each piece, some of which had been damaged by handling: tears, missing pieces, or with reinforcements. This restoration was closely followed by exhaustive digitisation to ensure that the originals were preserved. Finally, each document was packaged in individual, made-to-measure sleeves to ensure optimum preservation.
This ambitious project involved several members of the La Reliure du Limousin teams, immersing them in the history of French and foreign economic documents. It was an enriching experience that strengthened their commitment to preserving heritage and promoting history.
