Christofle workshops
Mar 10, 2020

Christofle workshops, places that tell their stories

Pioneer in the industrialization of one of the oldest crafts in the world, Maison Christofle has known, throughout its history, several manufacturing locations. Little stroll through these different addresses.

 

Workshops ChristofleWorkshops Christofle

Bondy Street

 

The first Christofle factory was located in the heart of Paris, rue de Bondy - now rue René Boulanger - in the goldsmiths district. Christofle first produced jewelry and, from 1844 to 1933, goldsmith.

Manufacture on the rue de Bondy

Facade, around 1860

Manufacture on the rue de Bondy

Around 1860  

The oval tower

Around 1865

St Denis

 

In 1877, Christofle opened a new factory in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. Built on a land of 21,000 m2, it fulfills three needs of the House: nickel metallurgy, cutlery making and compensate for the small size of the rue de Bondy workshop. The whole Maison Christofle French production was manufactured there from 1930 to 1971.

Sold in 2007, the site is now listed as a Historic Monument.

Workers Exit

1908

Facade on canal

Henry Godin

Cavalière view, 1908

Metallurgy workshop

Annealing oven, 1925

Emery polishing workshop

The oval tower

Photo Jean Michel Kollar, 1972

Yainville, Normandy

 

Maison Christofle settles in a new manufacturing site. In 1970, on a 15 hectare site, the construction of a 12,000m2 factory begins in Yainville. Modern and equipped with the most efficient machines, large goldsmithery has been produced in this manufacture from the end of the 1990s.

The Yainville manufacturing is the one that is still in operation today.

Yainville Manufacture

1971

Workshop visit

1971

The World

 

Troughout its history, Maison Christofle has been opening overseas manufacturing sites, the most important of them is the Karlsruhe factory located in Germany.

Opened in 1857, it supplied Christofle goldsmithery to Eastern Europe during 50 years: Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Poland, the Balkans and even Russia. The Karlsruhe factory has been permanently closed in 1921.

From Bondy Street to all corners of the world, there is an important know-how and a whole collection of items that mak tableware and interior decoration shine.

Karlsruhe manufacture, Street facade (1896)