Unilever has opened a new archive space at its historic home in Port Sunlight on the Wirral, creating a home for thousands of records, artworks and objects.
The new archive, housed in Port Sunlight’s renovated North Wing, extends Unilever’s global archives and consolidates collections into one location, adding a new dedicated gallery and protecting the company’s heritage for future generations.
Unilever Archives and Records Management holds one of the world’s most significant business archive collections, spanning centuries of company history. The collection includes over 1.5 million items - including original business documents like strategic reports and minutes, photographs, films, advertising and packaging. They tell the story of Unilever and its household brands (past and present) which include Vaseline, Dove, Persil, Jif (now Cif), Knorr and Sunlight Soap.
The North Wing includes two ‘strongrooms’ which are temperature and humidity controlled to protect historic documents and artwork, and 5km of new storage shelving and can house up to 40,000 boxes. New material includes business records, connected to the origins of the Dutch Margarine Union (the ‘Uni’ side of Unilever), historic board portraits and art, as well as unusual promotional objects, including a full-size fabric conditioner bear suit!
It also features the new Sunlight Storehouse gallery space that will be open to employees and visitors by appointment and complements the Archives Discovery Centre in Port Sunlight's South Wing. Sunlight Storehouse’s first exhibition - ‘The Evolving role of Women at Unilever’ - builds on research collaboration with the University of Liverpool charting how the experiences and careers of women at Unilever from the 1950s to the 1990s changed.
Claire Tunstall, Unilever’s Global Head of Art, Archives and Records Management said: “Our collections are far more than a record of where Unilever has been. They are a strategic business asset that helps us protect our brands, understand our heritage and make informed decisions about the future.
"As an accredited archive service, we are proud to care for collections that capture not only the history of Unilever, but also the changing social, cultural and industrial landscape of the last century.
“The investment in the North Wing secures the long-term future of these collections, ensuring they continue to support the business, inspire research and preserve stories that matter for generations to come.”
Professor Iain Jackson, academic collaborator from the School of Architecture at the University of Liverpool said: “Archives are most powerful when they connect people with their own histories, and these collections have become a catalyst for new conversations, fresh perspectives and deeper understanding. Their long-term stewardship is vital, ensuring that these important stories continue to inform research, inspire creativity and enrich cultural heritage for future generations."