DEISA EBANO Celebrates Its Centennial with the Inauguration of Its Corporate Museum
20 October, 2026
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DEISA EBANO Celebrates Its Centennial with the Inauguration of Its Corporate Museum
On October 16, 2026, in Bologna, DEISA Ebano inaugurated its Corporate Museum, a project that celebrates a century of business through more than 300 sketches, posters, photographs, and prototypes, offering a unique perspective on the connection between art, industry, and communication in the “Made in Italy” movement.
Founded in the 1920s and led by the Rossi family since 1939, the company has been a part of the evolution of everyday life in Italy through brands such as Ebano, Zig-Zag, Voilà, Aquila, and Calzanetto, distinguishing itself through its ability to combine manufacturing tradition, innovation, and a focus on people.
Housed at the company’s headquarters at Via Edoardo Collamarini 27, the museum features original drawings, advertising posters, storefront designs, vintage machinery, and production tools. The exhibition traces the evolution of Italian graphic design and advertising throughout the 20th century, highlighting the contributions of artists such as Giovanni Mingozzi—creator of the shoe-shiner character “Sor Ebano”—Achille Luciano Mauzan, Marcello Dudovich, Franco Fontana, and Nino Migliori.
“Creating a museum inside the factory means affirming that our history is not just a memory, but a part of our everyday work,” said Luca Rossi, President of DEISA Ebano, highlighting the company’s desire to share with the city and the country a history that intertwines culture, production, and social change.
The project was curated by art historian Francesca Sinigaglia, Director of the Museo Ottocento Bologna, who also authored the book *Un sogno lucido. DEISA Ebano: storia, bozzetti, manifesti e Museo*, published by Pendragon. The documentary research conducted for the catalog also revealed the earliest traces of the company’s activities as early as 1922, predating the year 1926, which is traditionally considered its founding year.
Through this initiative, DEISA Ebano celebrates a history in which creativity has gone hand in hand with industrial development, helping to shape the identity of its brands and preserve a significant part of Italian visual culture.
The museum is open to the public free of charge by appointment. For information and reservations: museo@ebano.com.
The opening took place under the patronage of the Museo Ottocento Bologna, the Museo Nazionale Collezione Salce in Treviso, and the City of Bologna.