Philippe ESTANG
The torch relay is a tradition that connects the modern Games to their ancient roots. The Olympic flame left the sanctuary of Olympia in Greece on April 16, 2024, before reaching Marseille and crisscrossing French territory. The Paralympic flame was lit in Stoke Mandeville in England, the historic cradle of Paralympic sport, on August 24, 2024, before arriving in Paris after four days of travel. Since the first Olympic relays in 1936, the flame has often been transported by air or sea. These transport conditions require protection against shocks, jolts, salt, humidity or wind, and the safety lamp has established itself as a reliable ally of the Olympic light. This summer again, the image of the Olympic flame, transported on board the Belem in a safety lamp, left its mark. Designed to withstand the extreme conditions of the sea, these lamps allow the Olympic flame to be transported and kept lit between relays, under the supervision of the flame guardians.The models used for the Paris 2024 Games were designed in the United Kingdom by the company Protector Lamp Ltd. The use of these lamps during international events is a great tribute to the technologies deployed in mines. Indeed, in 1968, the Coal Mines of the Northern Mining Basin and Pas-de-Calais already mentioned this use in their company journal on the occasion of the Grenoble Games: 'the Olympic flame, which took the route of the air to come to France, could only be transported inside a miner’s lamp. Philippe Estang acquired this lamp, decorated with the logo of the PARIS 2024 Olympic Games, in order to show the public that innovations and know-how from mining also have other prestigious uses. He offers you these Cross-Views between the Olympic Games and the use of these safety lamps. The PARIS 2024 Olympic lamp and torch acquired by Philippe Estang will be presented during a future exhibition 'the lamps of the Olympic relays'.
