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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => France => Topic started by: Glen on September 20, 2005, 03:05:30 PM

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Glen on September 20, 2005, 03:05:30 PM

Does anyone know if Saint Gobain might have made large blow moulded vases, possibly in the 1930s? Maybe for Coty?

Glen

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Sklounion on September 20, 2005, 04:58:37 PM

Glen,
I have taken the liberty of contacting the company's HQ in France, and once I have a response, will post the translation here.
Regards,
Marcus

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Glen on September 20, 2005, 05:03:21 PM

Marcus, thank you so much.  I had viewed their main website and wondered what my chances of doing that might be.......but as I once asked for a tarte des pommes de terre instead of a tarte des pommes, who knows what I might end up with! My French is very, very lacking  :oops:

Thank you again. You are very kind.

Glen

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Ivo on September 20, 2005, 08:50:31 PM

I think SG could not possibly say what they manufactured and when; they have sold out their consumer glass factories (at least half a dozen of them including Duralex etc.) to Bormioli Rocco and concentrate on float production and building materials. Not even sure they still run Flaconnerie - the perfume bottle business....

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Sklounion on September 21, 2005, 06:18:21 AM

Hi Glen and Ivo,

Ivo, the company still owns the flaconnerie:
http://www.saint-gobain-desjonqueres.fr/parfumerie/uk/add-on/index.asp

Glen do you want me to enquire further, re archive etc?

Regards,

Marcus

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Glen on September 21, 2005, 07:15:41 AM

Marcus, I don't want to waste your time. If you and Ivo feel that there is no chance of them knowing what they did in the past, then I really, truly do not want to waste your precious time.

I am so very grateful to you for responding in this thread.

Thanks again.
Glen

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Sklounion on September 21, 2005, 08:00:22 AM

Hi Glen,
The enquiry has now been passed to the company historian.... and have been promised a response shortly.
Regards,
Marcus

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Anonymous on September 22, 2005, 09:35:22 PM

Hi Glen,
Have been sent three files by S-G. Will check these out for you. Would you please be so kind as to forward and image of the vases concerned, so that I may try to progress this further on your behalf?
TIA,
Marcus

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Sklounion on September 22, 2005, 10:00:32 PM

Dooooohhhhhh..... two out of three postings anonymously.... How bad is that????
Sorry,
Marcus

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Sklounion on September 23, 2005, 11:35:50 AM

Courtesy of M. Jacques Durand's secretary:

Quote

Nous avons retrouvé un historique de la Chapelle paru dans Le Groupe d'histoire locale La Chapelle Saint-Mesmin, mars 1988. Les établissements Dessaux possédaient une distillerie à La Chapelle Saint-Mesmin qui fut transformée partiellement en 1927 en verrerie. En 1930, la société des parfums Coty acquiert la verrerie et constitue la Société des Verreries de La Chapelle Saint-Mesmin, rachetée par Saint-Gobain en 1934. La parfumerie Coty restera cliente de Saint-Gobain qui continue à fabriquer les emballages de parfumerie.

We have found a history of La Chapelle, which came from the local history group of La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, in 1988.  The company Dessaux owned a distilerry, which was partially converted to a glass factory in 1927. In 1930, Coty acquired the glass-works, and formed "La Societe des Verreries da La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin" which was purchased by Saint-Gobain, in 1934. Coty remained a major client.

I would like to thank Mme Nathalie Duarte, Saint-Gobain's Archivist, for her work in making the information available to us.

regards,

Marcus

Edit in blue

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Glen on September 23, 2005, 01:39:22 PM

Marcus.......thank you, thank you. And then thank you again. All the pieces of my puzzle are beginning to fit together. I am very grateful to you for your help - and also to your friends at Saint Gobain too.

Ice cream, eh? Mine's a double choc choc  :lol:

Glen

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Sklounion on September 23, 2005, 05:22:51 PM

Should anyone be researching Duralex, there is this academic thesis that may be of interest:
VILLACROUX (Olivier).- La verrerie de la Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, ou l'histoire d'un produit, le Duralex. (1934-1969).- Tours, 1998.- Dir. J.F.ECK.
Regards,
Marcus

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Sklounion on September 24, 2005, 10:53:35 PM

Glen,
verre trempe, (with accent on final e) = hardened glass, the production of which had started in the mid-thirties, at La Chappelle....
also known as "Duralex".....
regards,
Marcus

Title: Saint Gobain
Post by: Glen on September 25, 2005, 02:30:07 PM

Marcus - thank you once again. Most interesting information.

Merci  :shock: (that's as good as my francais gets  :shock: )

Glen