Welcome to histalu.orgThe site for the history of aluminium
From 2011 to 2014, the IHA participated in the collective and multidisciplinary research program CREALU - CREation and ALUminum – that documents the history of aluminium from its discovery and application as an industrial material to its use in the arts and crats: from invention, to innovation and commercialization (19th-21st Centuries)
CREALU is betting that aluminium is a “creative laboratory”.
Its relatively recent appearance, its wide and rapid diffusion offer a privileged field for the study of diverse and correlated creative processes. Marked with scientific and technical innovations, the history of aluminium and its industry is also marked by many innovations in the institutional organization of markets. Ubiquitous in the daily life, aluminium is an ever-present element of our material culture, it has long been a favoured material for many creators in the fields of architecture and design. From the beginning of its development and use, aluminium has been recognized for its value in the arts and crafts, as attested to by its presence in museum and private collections.
The Four Principal Research Initiatives:
1) Methodologies and Innovators, the creation of a material and an industry: from chemical aluminium to nanotechnology, science / technology /markets, (19th to 21st centuries).
2) Applications and Markets: R&D, innovation, public demand and distribution (transportation, architecture, design, packaging, daily life, etc.)
3) The rich cultural and imaginative world of aluminium, its achievements, innovators and creators: how did inventors, engineers, craftsmen and artists dream up and create the material and its many uses?
4) Aluminium Heritage: preservation and enhancement of the cultural heritage of aluminium, its material legacy and cultural imprint- issues, methods, tools. The management of this heritage, research, and the promotion of the results of this program rely heavily on the development of innovative tools: databases and multimedia platforms accessible via the internet.
See the project's publications in the HAL-ANR portal:
The project was funded by the National Research Agency (ANR).
He associated, alongside the IHA:
Discover the book produced as part of the Crealu research program
The IHA has conducted or participated in collective research programs in partnership with university laboratories and with the support of the National Research Agency
