The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) and the Fonds de Dotation Per Fumum are continuing their partnership, launched in 2023, to study and promote heritage collections related to the history of perfumery.
A first postdoctoral research grant, supported by the Fonds de Dotation Per Fumum in 2023–2024, made it possible to explore the BnF’s collections in order to identify, catalogue and document resources relating to olfaction and perfumery, from the 19th century to the present day.
This pioneering work resulted in the creation of the Guide to Sources in the BnF Archives Related to Perfumery, bringing together a wide range of documents: manuscripts, printed materials, photographs, maps and plans, prints, objects, audiovisual resources, invention patents, drawings and designs, and royal privileges.
Given the richness of the collections identified and the potential for further discoveries, a new phase of the project will begin in January 2027 and run for one year, with the establishment of a new research grant. It will enable the continued exploration of archives not only within the BnF, but also at institutions such as the INPI, the National Archives, departmental archives and libraries, in order to further expand and deepen our understanding of the history of perfumery from as early as 1750.
Through this partnership, the Fonds de Dotation Per Fumum supports a research and knowledge-sharing initiative aimed at identifying and making visible historical resources that have until now been little accessible and often overlooked, thereby facilitating research for scholars, professionals, students and perfume enthusiasts.
This new version of the Guide to Sources will be available on the BnF website, HAL and in the virtual library on our website.
Bibliothèque nationale de France
A new research grant established with the BnF to expand the Guide to Sources covering 100 years of knowledge on the history of perfumery, extending the research back to 1750.
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