Philippe Rouillé (Paris)*. Translated from the French by Hans van Oost
Paris was certainly one of the main cities for mechanical music, from the eighteenth century to the end of the 1930's. Unfortunately, no visible traces remain of the great mechanical music names, even although the original faèades can still be found here and there. The majority of the manufacturers, for that matter, did not occupy the whole building but only some of the rooms that were fitted up as workshops. I only visited addresses known after the middle of the 19th century, because the street numbering of Paris changed in the years 1854-1858, when Baron Haussmann, prefect of Paris under the reign of Napoleon III, began his complete remodelling of Paris. Many rich and "bourgeois" stone buildings for offices and lodgings (similar to what was built for ex. in Vienna at the same time) were then erected along the new large "Boulevards" in this typical "Haussmanian style". The counterpart was that a large part of the old buildings of Paris were destroyed. Before 1854-1858, much investigation, especially in the land registries, has to be done in order to convert old addresses to their present-day equivalents (That is why, for ex., I shall not mention in this article the famous organ maker Davrainville, or the music box specialist Alibert).
When I state for a building : R+4 for ex., it means, that there is a ground floor and 4 main floors visible from the street (there may be some more floors above, sometimes signalled by R+4+?).
Our resources were pictures, some of which in birds-eye view and addresses, found on instruments, documents and other contemporary publications and from several books such as Christian Bailly's about the golden age of automata, the very documented scholar book by Malou Haine "Les facteurs d'instruments de musique á Paris au XIXe siècle (Bruxelles, 1985, out of print), and Arthur Ord-Hume's many books.
Unfortunately I could not always state when exactly the addresses were in use, by shortage of time or documentation, and of course I do not pretend this listing is complete : a whole book would be necessary to inventory all the music instrument makers who at some time included automatic mechanisms in their production. At the request of Hans van Oost (may I thank him here for his translation in Dutch and English), I added several other addresses and many small additions which did not appear in the French Journal, taken from period advertisements, or period directories, for ex.: Paul de Wit, Welt-Adressbuch der Musikinstrumenten-Industrie, Teil II, 1926/27 (courtesy of Hendrik Strengers). For some of these added addresses, I regret I had no time to go on the spot and check the actual condition of the building: Paris is a very large city !
Of course, I thank all the people who helped me with this research, either in the city offices (the help of some architects was invaluable), or on the premises (house keepers or "concierges" know sometimes a lot about their buildings), either in the mechanical music field (a special mention for Douglas Heffer, regarding the piano makers).
It may be noticed that automata makers were rather located in "Le Marais", now a fashionable area (many magnificent XVIIth and XVIIIth century "hôtels particuliers" are still there), but at the time very popular and industrious; organ builders were usually located more east of La Bastille, roughly in the "Place de la Nation/Dausmenil" rather industrial area ; piano dealers, appealing to more "high class" customers, were to be found in "chic" areas, around the Opera house, or the "grands boulevards" and the Champs-Elysées.
He who likes to take a tour along these addresses will not regret the trouble because he will discover a large variety of architectural styles in lively, sometimes stylish, but mostly attractive districts. It is up to you, dear reader, to choose the order of your walk or pilgrimage! It is easier to walk and take photos on Saturday and especially Sunday, but you will miss the activity of the areas, and it is more difficult to go inside the buildings.
Last but not the least: I shall be very glad to know about possible errors or additions. Please write to the Journal or send me an e-mail at: rouille@cnam.fr
32, Avenue de l'Opéra, offices and show rooms. (Métro: Opéra)
Beautiful property, 6 floors high and 50 metres wide in the typical Parisian Hausmann-style with balconies, karyatids etc. The building is now fully occupied by offices, travel agencies and more.
A rolls catalog from 1925 states:
"Aeolian Hall, 32 Av. De l'Opéra, Paris, telephone Centre 70 03"
"Library, 64 Rue de la Boëtie, Paris (VIIIe arrondissement)"
Rue de la Boëtie, you may see an interesting building (R+7), built in 1911 (achitect: C.Cazalières, H Guilmoto, Intérieur constructeur), and very modern for the time: very large glass windows.
"Telegraph address: Pianolas-Paris"
In 1855 (Great Exhibition), a document mentions a large factory 9, rue Pierre Levée (75011, near République), and also 39, rue Meslay (also near République, but on the other side of the square, not far away from the Museum of "Les Arts et Métiers" (CNAM). (cf engravings in Malou Haine's book, pp 129-132, 139, 226, 231).
The fine building (ca 1800) on 39 rue de Meslay is almost unchanged, excepted a curious passage ("du pont aux biches") under the building, created in the 1880's, whereas a passage in front (towards the boulevard St Martin) was called "Passage des Orgues", because "it led to an organ factory", says without other precision the official city guide of the streets of Paris. Of course, this organ factory was Alexandre. The passage is today completely private and inaccessible, without even its name appearing on a plaque.
A repertory ca 1900 gives : 81 rue Lafayette (Métro Poissonnière), along the square Montholon: a very interesting building (R+6), from ca 1840, with a large void "cartouche" where was perhaps inscribed "Alexandre".
Another factory was located at Ivry-sur Seine.
70, rue des Tournelles, 75003-Paris (Métro: Chemin vert).
In the 1920's, Bodson was reseller of pneumatic pianos, and especially rented the "Pneumatic accordéon Jazz", with an automaton playing the accordion (falsely called "Tino Rossi", when it seems to have pictured the musician Fredo Gardoni), sometimes accompanied by a black drummer.
72, rue de Cléry (75002) (Métro Strasbourg-St. Denis), according to a yearbook from ca 1900.
Christian Bailly also mentions a former address on number 80 of the rue de Cléry, and a nephew Alfred Bontems, competitor, in the rue de Mulhouse (nr 3 ?). A musical animated picture, auctioned in Chartres May 1999 (nr 975 of the catalogue), contains een label of a Bontemps (so with a p), 98 rue de St. Lazare.
On 72 and 80 of rue de Cléry small properties are located, doubtless 19th-century, typical for the area, now in use as fashion shops topped with appartments. Both properties have been renovated recently. Number 72 is a neat corner house 5 floors high on the corner with rue St.Philippe; number 80, more modest and less high, is located in the street.
Established in the 1830's, and maker of pianos and harmoniums, amidst them the famous mechanical "piano á planchettes".
15, rue Vivienne, 75002-Paris (near to the Exchange, Métro: Bourse). Replaced by a property built in the thirties.
A 1862 London exhibition catalogue, and a 1876 advertisment, mentionned by H. Strengers, shows the address : 24 et 26 Place Lafayette. A good engraving of the building is given by Malou Haine, p 133. The place Lafayette was not the Rue Lafayette, but is the actual Place Franz Liszt (Métro Poissonnière), where a later very large and impressive 1872 building, at actual n
! 6, looks similar to the original building of the engraving.The de Witt repertory (1926) shows : 97, rue de Charonne, 75011-Paris. Now a large building (R+7) built in the 1930s.
In Christian Bailly's work on page 115 is a photograph from 1908 with the entrance of the factory of Roullet and Decamps, established since 1873 in the very fine 17th century Hôtel de Vigny with the address 10, rue du Parc Royal (Métro: Chemin Vert). This building was acquired in 1949 by the Ministry of Education, who at first wanted to have it demolished. It now houses the "National centre for documentation on the National Heritage" (division of the General Inventory). The building has been fully restored. Nevertheless the front is still strongly resembling that of 1908. In the inner court there still is a hand water pump, presumably dating from the start of the 20th century.
Decamps workshops and stores had to leave the building, of which they used up a considerable part (about 1000 m2). In 1963 they moved to the ground floor of 19 rue Amelot, (75011). The company closed in 1995. End of 1999, from the outside, still some automata were visible, but a sign on the façade stated that the property was for sale. A warning to the lovers of mechanical music looking for a dazzling address!
One of the oldest (ca 1780) and greatest builders of pianos (and harps) in France. Some of its pianos were equipped with the Odeola system.
The main address was 13, rue du Mail, in Paris, from 1814 to 1959, when Erard merged with Gaveau. The offices and factory occupied a large part of the block in this area.
In the rue du Mail (75002, Métro: Sentier) at number 21, under a big gate "Erard, entrée des Ateliers" (workshop entrance) is visible and on number 13 a memorial plate states that Liszt, between 1823 and 1878, was very often welcomed here by the Erard family. The Paris "blue guide" of 1963 mentioned that "one of the most important music rooms of Paris" was established here (cf an engraving in Malou Haine, p 315, showing the luxuous decoration). It measured about 25 x 12 m and accomodated ca 400 people in the ground floor (orchestre) and only one balcony. It was used for private concerts only from 1877 to the second World War. After 1945, it was used as a recording studio by the National Radio, and in the 1960's transformed and compartimented for other purposes - alas no more music. The impressive entrance (observe the lyras in the upper windows) at the other side of the block, rue Paul Lelong, was seldom used. Thanks to the house manager (and a period of renovation), I visited the building, and he showed me too the magnificient Erard demonstration and reception room (ca 20x10 m) that he recently restored to its original end of XIXth century condition, with over gilded decoration and a painted ceiling with pale blue sky and misty clouds ... But it will remain private, no public access.
Several engravings of these interesting period buildings are shown p 49, 51, 138 in the book by Malou Haine, and - incredible but true -the modern looking façade of the building rue du Mail nr. 13 remains almost identical to the engraving of 1844 (Malou Haine, p. 49), and could date from the end of the XVIIIth century.
Try and have a look too at the inner court of nr 23 rue du Mail (although it was not Erard's): a 1884 building, built by architect Hermant, the same architect that built the Gaveau concert hall (see at Gaveau), with a metal structure and a very interesting four floors glass covered courtyard.
The de Witt repertory (1926) also shows: factory 112, rue de Flandre (75019) (Métro Crimée), and there is a 1882 engraving of this large factory in Malou Haine p 127. Most of the large buildings are still there (with their wide curved-top windows), but they suffered extensive transformations to house a large welfare administration for retired workers.
10, Pl. Daumesnil, 75012 (from Ord-Hume: Barrel Organ, p 448).
17-19, rue de la Véga (75012; Métro: Michel Bizot).
1200 m2 of workshops according to a document from the 19th century. Big modern properties from the 1970's or 1980's, with overgrown terraces have taken the place of the old buildings. Between 1865 and 1887 the Gasparini factory was on 205-207 Boulevard Voltaire, but by lack of space he moved to the rue de la Véga.
One of the "big three" piano makers in France (with Erard and Pleyel). Established in 1847 in Paris. Many pianos were equipped with pneumatic systems (Odeola, Ampico and Welte). The main address was 45-47, rue de la Boétie, 75008 (Métro, Miromesnil).
The large building (built by the architect Jacques Hermant, 1905-1906) is still there, with a good 1000 seats concert hall, always in activity, perfect for chamber music. A large factory was at Fontenay-Sous-Bois, East of Paris near Vincennes. Another maker, Gabriel Gaveau (established 1911), made some pianos with pedal or Duo-Art systems, and was located in 1919, 55-57 Av. Malakoff, 75016 (This part is now, I think, Av. Raymond Poincaré, near the Trocadero).
2 bis Avenue de Taillebourg (75012, on the corner of the place de la Nation, Métro: Nation).
Number 2 (without an entrance) is a non-characteristic building of 4 floors, built around 1850? with an optician on the ground floor. Number 2bis is a modern office building from the seventies, with a bank office (BNP) on the ground floor.
A year book from 1900 gives as an address of Gavioli: 15, Place de la Nation, which also corresponds with the above address on the Avenue de Taillebourg.
Gavioli had five more addresses:
1861: 14 rue d'Aligre. (according to Mlle. Andrée Gavioli in an interview with Henri Bank in the fifties)
1866: 3 Rue de Citeaux (according to an act of association Gavioli and Yver). This address also appears on some barrel organs. These two last addresses (a few hundred metres from each other) have been replaced by modern buildings.
1902: 115, rue de Bercy, now occupied by the sport palast Paris-Bercy (Métro: Bercy);
175, rue de Bercy; This was the office building with the show room. At 173-173 rue de Bercy we now find a big modern office tower of the Social Service. Nothing reminds of Gavioli's existence here.
1902: 49, rue de la Rapée (Métro: Gare de Lyon); this was de "steam-driven factory" as stated in the publications. The grounds are now occupied by a big office building and a large parking garage.
JAF took the succession of Vichy, on the same premises, but an advertising postcard with a postal stamp of 1934 shows : "JAF, 100 Bd Pereire, Paris" (Métro Pereire), with the former address blackened in ink ...
Several good organs by this maker survive to-day in private collections. It seems that Kelsen was active in the years 1845-1873. Constant Pierre, in his book about the musical instruments makers (Paris, 1893) mentions pp 252/253 Kelsen as the "digne successeur" (worthy follower) of Davrainville, the famous maker of automatic barrel organs, not mentionned in this article, because his addresses are difficult to trace, due to a change in the street numbering in the years 1854-58. For the same reason, the addresses given below for Kelsen should be taken cautiously.
The 1855 Paris exhibition mentions : rue Bertin-Poirée, 8, Paris (near Chatelet, a fine building from the beginning of the XIXth century), and the 1862 London exhibition mentions : rue des petites Ecuries, 13, Paris (a large very simple R+3+? building from the beginning of the XIXth century), and on a barrel organ is shown : rue des Petites Ecuries, 47, Paris (near the Grands Boulevards, a fine R+6 building signed on the façade: Gaumont architecte 1855).
Léopold Lambert started working with the Vichy firm and established, according to his own statement, in 1886 on 13, rue Portefoin (75003. Métro: Arts et Métiers, near the National Archive and Le Temple) where he was very active till WW I. The simple 7-floor property is from the end of the 19th century, doubtless on a much older foundation. On the ground floor on the right is a watch shop and on the left a shop in jewelers' presentation artifacts.
166 avenue Daumesnil (75012 Métro: Gare de Lyon). This was the office's address. Now it is a nondescript building from the sixties with a radiological centre at the ground floor and on nr. 168 another modern building with a post office. On 8 and 9 november 1983 about twenty street organ players gathered in front of this building to give honour to this manufacturer and handed a wall plaquette they had made to two of Limonaires descendants, because they were not allowed to put it on the wall of the building. A report on this event can be read (in French) in AAIMM-bulletin nr. 22, autumn 1983, pages 26/7.
70 rue Claude Decaen (75012, Métro: Daumesnil / Michel Bizot ). One of Limonaire's factories was established here. Now one can find big brick buildings there, that were built during WW I for hosting refugees from the North of France.
The De Wit Repertory (1926) gives also the address: 5, avenue de l'Opéra, Paris I. (Large Haussmanian office building).
146 rue Montmartre and 46, passage des Panoramas (behind the Stock Exchange; Métro: Bourse). Dit address is non-existant now. Een year-book from 1900 also mentions 48, passage des Panoramas.
46, rue de Douai, 75009 (near Métro Pigalle) (Source : Ord-Hume, Barrel organ, p 470). Established in 1853, active till the last 1920's.
"Manufacture of book-organs for dance-halls and fairs. Rebuildings, repairs on visit, cardboard music for organs", according to a year book (between 1910 and 1920?). 26, rue des Plantes (75014; Métro: Alésia). (Obviously the address was in the cité Papillon, number 6bis). Nowadays here is a beautiful property with artists' workshops, built between 1928 and 1930 by the architect Dessauen.
22 rue Charlot (after 1874), in the Marais (75003; Métro Filles du Calvaire). A property from the Empire era with 5 floors and on the ground floor the well-known modern art gallery of Denise René. At nr. 20 an old store sells all kinds of chains.... Phalibois was taken over in 1920 by Decamps.
Made many very good pianos and used several pneumatic systems : Odeola, and his own systems Pleyela and Auto-Pleyela. In the early years, the firm retailed some Hupfeld productions under the name Dea-Pleyela. Stravinsky's fourth version of "les Noces" was for solo Pleyela, and Jacques Larmanjat, head of music rolls, worked a lot in the 1920's to produce the corresponding rolls (source : text of the booklet of a recent Rex Lawson CD).
The main Pleyel building, with a factory, was 22-24, rue Rochechouart (75009) (Métro Cadet), now a horrible very large school building, ca 1960's and ca 60 m wide.
A large Factory was in Saint-Denis (a suburb north of Paris) (Pleyel, Wolff & Cie), and another one in Clignancourt. Many engravings of all this period buildings are shown in the book by Malou Haine, which gives also another address for 1855: 95, rue de Richelieu (near Métro Richelieu-Drouot) : a fine R+5 corner building from the beginning of the XIXth century.
A French directory of 1919 and the 1926 de Witt directory show: 20, avenue de l'Opéra (a large Haussmanian building).
A very large concert hall, always in activity, is the famous "Salle Pleyel", 252, rue du Fbg St Honoré, 75008 (Métro Ternes). It was opened in 1927 and accomodates an audience of 2.300.
This firm, established in Paris in 1919, produced pianos, called "Pianoludes", probably with American mechanisms (Auto or Standard pneumatic action C!). Period advertisements state : 12, Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées, Entrée : 45, Avenue Victor-Emmanuel III, now Avenue Franklin-Roosevelt (it is probably the corner building at the NW of the place, unchanged but the ground floor).
You must have a look inside the commercial gallery at 12-14 Place du Rond-Point : there is a huge excentric perpetual motion artistic machine inside ... (not always operative).
A great illusionist, clock maker and manufacturer of automata (1805-1871). This famous conjuror manufactured magic clocks and automata, some of which with music. From 1845 to 1852 he managed his "Théâtre des soirées fantastiques" (Múliès became director from 1888) on 11 rue de Valois, (75001, Métro: Palais Royal), in the beautiful 18th century buildings alongside the gardens of the Royal Palace, near to the Ministery of Culture. There is a memorial plate.
One of the few French makers of musical boxes. Active ca 1855/1860. A period advertisment states : "89, rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, Entrée par le passage du Désir" (Métro, Château d'eau) and: "Ateliers rue du Faubourg-Saint-Martin, nº 218". (Métro: Louis Blanc, but at this address there is only now a typical 1910 building). Although there is no remaining sign of Soualle, I recommand to visit the private "Passage du désir" : the name is romantic, and you will see wonderful small brick buildings with workshops from the beginning of the XIXth century, with later high buildings at each end of the passage. When you are in the rue du Fbg St Martin, have a look at nº 72 at the incredible new gothic pastry of the Mairie du Xe arrondissement. But it seems the main manufacturing activity was in the "Château de Villetanneuse", a small village north of Paris, near Saint-Denis.
20, rue du Paradis, (75010; Métro Gare de l'Est / Poissonnière) according to a year book from 1900 and various other advertisements. It was near to the glass maker Baccarat. The show room was on nr. 18 (a beautiful property with coloured ceramic tiles). Nr. 20 is demolished and replaced by a modern building (sixties?) hosting a municipal kindergarten.
68/70 rue Réaumur (75003-Paris, Métro: Réaumur-Sebastopol).
The front on the ground floor measured about twenty metres wide. In his book "Clockwork Music" on p. 83 M. Ord-Hume published a picture of it, taken from a catalog of around 1900. Thibouville produced many musical instruments and was a representative of various other manufacturers, under whom l'Epée: music boxes, serinets, salon organs, et cetera. The firm seems to have been active from about 1865 to 1970, after which year the properties were taken over by the firm of Paul Beuscher, an important music instrument retailer and publisher, who himself worked on the boulevard Beaumarchais as soon as 1900. Too bad he has not a single document left about Thibouville. In the centre of Paris, a few metres from the Boulevard Sebastopol and the Centre Beaubourg this beautiful property sees its ground floor occupied by the Parisian music library (Paul Beuscher), where one can find all kinds of sheet music: classical and light music, jazz etc. There is also a fashion shop "Amazone". Not a single sign reminds here of the Thibouville firm, who had factories in several places, in Paris, La Couture-Boussey (west of Paris) and in the Vosges area (Mirecourt). The de Witt directory (1926) points out another factory, 140, rue Saint-Charles (75015).
11, rue du Fbg Poissonnière, 75002 (Métro : Bonne nouvelle), at least till 1909 (source : Ord-Hume, Music box). Good stone building R+2+2, beginning of the XIXth century.
Gustave Vichy, certainly one of the best maker of fine automata, established in 1866 on 36, rue de Montmorency (Métro: Rambuteau). After his death in 1904 the business was continued by his assistant. It was sold to the JAF (Jouets et Automates Franèais) in 1923 on the same address (see also at JAF). The building is a simple 19th-century property; four floors with rather low ceilings are visible and there is an additional top floor that cannot be seen from the street. Each floor has 7 windows on the street side. On the ground floor two clothing shops.
This firm sold many music boxes and musical pictures in the XIXth century. They had their business in the Galerie Vivienne (75002, Métro: Bourse), at first on 21/23 and later on 38-40, close to the old National Library (Bibliothèque Nationale). The Gallery dating from the beginning of the 19th century still exists and looks fine, but no trace can be found of Wurtel's business (view the article in MMV nr. 24).
Another address (on a snuff box) gives as address 12, Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle (75010; Métro Bonne Nouvelle) for Wurtel and his successor Piéfort. It is a six-floor block from the end of the 19th century (so it was presumably built after Wurtel was established there). It has a nice middle entry with a triangular fronton and stone doorsteps. On one side a drugstore is residing (for a long time already, because carved "caducées" are still visible), and on the other side there is a clothing shop. Striking are the 10 moulded door gratings and, especially after entering, a beautiful, typical late 19th-century inner court.
Opened by Jaques Chirac, the president of France now, then mayor of Paris, in 1983, was situated in the Impasse Berthaud (75003, Métro: Rambuteau) near to the Centre Beaubourg. The museum closed its gates in 1994 and the collection was sold to Belgium.
He had his shop -rather his Ali Baba-cave- at 6, rue Grégoire de Tours (Métro Odeon), in the VIth arrondissement, from 1953/4 till summer 1995, shortly before his death. As a sign of times, before Alain Vian a brothel,"Chez Zita", occupied the building, and now it is a shop dedicated to multimedia and the Internet.....
When you are looking for mechanical musical instruments in Paris visible from the street there are still some addresses (except the flea markets and the specialists working inside their house, of course). We can mention:
A. André Bissonnet, 6, rue du Pas de la Mule, 75003, Métro: Bastille/Chemin Vert), and
B. La Boîte á Musique, 96, rue du Bac, 75007, Métro: Rue du Bac.
C. Anna Joliet, 9, rue de Beaujolais, 75001, Métro: Palais Royal ( on the gardens of the Royal Palace; the gates are closed in the evening and at night).
D. René Boaretto, "Mascarade", 74 Boulevard Malesherbes, 75008, Métro: Madeleine / St. Augustin, Europe or Villiers
E. "Automates et Poupées" (Sylviane Dugas and Camille Guillebert), 97, Avenue Daumesnil, 75012 (under the "Viaduc des Arts" (Métro Gare de Lyon).
In other shops too automata of music boxes are displayed, but these are not specialized shops. Not a single street is named after inventors of mechanical music (except Vaucanson, and till recent times the Passage des Orgues which led to the Alexandre factory). There is a Boulevard Mortier, but it was not named after the Belgian manufacturer, but after a general of Napoléon. A few years ago the Paris council proposed to give the name "Frères Limonaire" to a street in the XIIth arrondissement, but this proposal until now has remained without results...
® Philippe Rouillé
e-mail: rouille@cnam.fr
This article was copied from "Musiques Mécaniques Vivantes" nr. 31, 1999/3, by courtesy of the author and the AAIMM. The translator wishes to express his thanks to Philippe Rouillé for his numerous later additions and corrections of the translation in English. Photos in Het Pierement and text are copyrighted by Philippe Rouillé.
* Philippe Rouillé, an economist, is an author and translator in Paris, France. His interest is in music, especially in mechanical music. In this field he wrote many articles, mainly for the French association AAIMM, and the catalogue of the Paris museum of mechanical music (coll. H. Triquet, closed in 1994). He is the author of the independent website "Musica Mechanica", hosted by the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. He also works for an auction house in Chartres near Paris. For his work he received the Q. D. Bowers award in 1999.