Chavent Père & Fils Fund

Antonio Ratti Foundation is delighted to announce the support received from the Alcea Fondation towards the restoration and digitisation of 70 sample books from the Lyon manufactory Chavent Père & Fils and approximately 1600 loose proof papers.

Since its creation, Antonio Ratti Foundation has been dedicated to preserving and enhancing of the textiles collected by Antonio Ratti and to make them available to scholars, experts and enthusiasts. Constant conservation, restoration and digitisation is a fundamental component of this work, which makes the FAR textile archive an international reference in this field.

The generous support from the Fondation Alcea, for the purposes of restoring the structural and aesthetic integrity of sample books and proof papers from the Lyon manufacturer Chavant Père & Fils, marks an important chapter in the FAR textile collection. These items which were hitherto not available for consultation due to their fragility and extensive damages, are representative of the production of the Lyon industrial district in the 19th century and form one of the most important nuclei of the FAR collection.
Over a period of three years, the support from Alcea will enable not only to restore them, but also to make them accessible to the public, triggering new possibilities for research and inspiration for the scholars, artists and designers who consult the FAR textile archive every year.

ALCEA FONDATION
We believe in the notion of vocation – work that is your purpose in life. There are those who have found their vocation or strive towards one. Fondation Alcea aims to provide a helping hand to these exceptional and highly motivated people, to help them further along their path and make their aspirations come true.
Fondation Alcea is delighted to partner with the Antonio Ratti Foundation (FAR), which shares this vision. We are inspired by the team at FAR who are passionate about preserving and innovating its world-class textile collection. We admire and respect the skills and the flair of the artisans from more than a century ago that created these sample books. We are thrilled that the art of restoration has been passed on to the present day in Italy, and that the specialists who have chosen this métier will be working on restoring the sample book collection.