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Gemma Torre

Freelance archivist PhD student in Analysis and Management of Cultural Heritage

gemma.torre@imtlucca.it

ICA - SBA Conference “Creating the best business archive”, Milan 2015 June 16

INTRODUCTION

THE MEETING BETWEEN ENTREPRENEUR AND ARCHIVIST

THE CASE STUDY IN GENOA

ADVANTAGES FOR THE BUSINESSMAN

RESULTS

Historical picture by AC Attilio Carmagnani, Chemical industry - Genoa

Furthermore, it is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to obtain reliable guidelines to improve their own records management and increase their cultural interests.

Census allows the academic community to access enterprise archives.

The work explains how a research method as the census can also have positive consequences for companies themselves, which are the objects of these studies.

Old drawer-unit by Compagnia Portuale Pietro Chiesa, Human resources service for Genoa harbour

ENTERPRISE DATA

1. Name company and legal status 2. Establishment year 3. Activity 4. Productive sector 5. Headquarter 6. Other offices/facilities 7. Historical outline 8. Notable prizes

ARCHIVE DATA

9. Archival history and declaration of Cultural Heritage 10. Conservation place 11. State of preservation 12. State of arrangement 13. Instrument of records management 14. Finding aids of historical archive

note: covering dates and archival holding

I. DOCUMENTARY SECTION

15. Corporate books

16. Administrative documentation 17. Archive of human resources

18. Accounting and fiscal documentation

II. TECHNICAL SECTION

19. Technical archive

III. PHOTOGRAPHIC SECTION

20. Photographic archive

IV. OTHER

21. Library / newspapers collection 22. Archival fonds 23. Limit to access

CENSUS DATA

24. Notes 25. Data of survey

Archivist’s communication skills

Entrepreneur’s personal background

availability to be involved in a census project

aptitude to cultural environment

knowledge of the market and specific business

able to shape archival classic tools to enterprises

Villa Cattaneo dell’Olmo Ansaldo Foundation – Finmeccanica Group

ARCHIVIO STORICO AMT, Atti del Seminario Internazionale “Salvaguardia e

valorizzazione degli archivi d’impresa”.

35

9

73

8

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Genoa companies with "historical status" for Chamber of Commerce

Cultural institutions in Genoa where I searched archives of ceased

companies

with archives

without archives

17

108

The census was achieved between 2012 and 2014 It was focused on companies established before 1950 and still operative The local Chamber of Commerce gave a list of centennial companies that had been drawn up by Unioncamere for the 150th Anniversary celebrations of the Unification of Italy in 2011 Furthermore, archives of ceased companies were searched, which are retained by cultural institutions on the same territory Each archive was personally inspected by the archivist

Img. 2 E. Finollo Sas Shop of handmade and custom made clothing.

Woven pattern book, first half

of the 20th century. Reused to optimize the current pattern books.

Img. 1 Boero Bartolomeo SpA Chemical industry Paint can, 1831. Reusable for merchandising, advertisement or packaging study.

Img. 3 Figari Federico Shop of baby clothing and

embroideries

Register with drawings of custom made skirts, 1920s /

1930s. Reusable to find creative ideas

for new productions.

Img. 6 Valobra Virgilio di Guglielmo Valobra

Soap industry

Soap bars made through “in jacket” historical moulds. Reused to the evergreen

current production.

Img. 5 Ottica Speich di Andrea Donati & C. Sas

Optical shop

Picture, 1928. Reused as merchandising for

glasses microfiber cleaning cloth.

Img. 4 ICAT Food Spa Commerce of fish products

Advertising poster, 1950s.

Reused as an office decoration, reusable for advertisement or

packaging study.

The participation of a census project has also two indirect consequences :

The entrepreneur sees the historical importance of the company recognized on his territory.

The company brand could be involved in cultural projects, hoped for by the academic community.

Historical picture by Prefabbricatifoco F.lli Bisio Srl, Shop of construction materials - Genoa

Partecipation of more than 90% of companies involved

The city could be defined a “widespread archive”

Industrial heritage is still not popular enough , especially if we consider that more than 40 years have already gone by since its birth

The efficient cooperation is a force to face economic world crisis and the industrial network is possible first of all with the cultural aspects

Dott.ssa Gemma Torre

gemma.torre@imtlucca.it