Charles Christofle
Charles Christofle (Paris, October 25, 1805 – Brunoy, December 13, 1863) was a French silversmith and industrial entrepreneur.
Biography
He began his career as a jeweler but specialized in the production of silverware for household use in the 1830s. He founded a silverware and electroplated silver company called Christofle, which became the largest manufacturer of its kind in France, competing internationally with the English company Elkington and the American Reed & Barton. In 1842, he purchased the French patent rights for electroplated silver from Elkington, giving him a monopoly on this technique in the French market. Soon, his company was generating more than two million francs in annual revenue.[1]
The Christofle company primarily produced tableware and household items, with an eclectic artistic style ranging from Louis XV and Louis XVI styles to the popular Second Empire style of the time. Emperor Napoleon III commissioned several pieces from him, such as the tableware now preserved between the Museum of Decorative Arts of Paris and the Château de Compiègne Museum, crafted in 1853. They also produced furniture with bronze applications, such as a table designed by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, which is conserved in the Museum of Decorative Arts of Paris.
After the founder's death, the company passed to his son Paul Christofle and his nephew Henri Bouilhet, who expanded the business. At the beginning of the 20th century, they had 1,500 employees at their factory in Saint-Denis and branches in Vienna, Brussels, and Karlsruhe. During the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, they introduced a new type of plated metal called "Galia metal," heavier than electroplated silver and producing a richer sound when struck. In the early decades of the century, their production styles included Art Nouveau and Art Deco. In 1935, they produced several renowned tableware sets for the ocean liner SS Normandie.
Since World War II, the company has embraced industrial design and collaborated with renowned designers such as Gio Ponti and Tapio Wirkkala. Christofle remains one of the leading producers of table silverware in France.
See also
- History of Decorative Arts
References
Bibliography
- Fleming , John; Honour , Hugh (1987). Dictionary of the Decorative Arts . Madrid: Alianza.
External links
- Wikimedia Commons alberga una categoría multimedia sobre Charles Christofle.