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In
the last century, it is well known, the small girls borned in the pinks
and the little boys in cabbages! The storks ensured the delivery !
And our dolls? It is a good question ........... Well,
in big factories, a little bit blackish, with high fireplace, often
enormous, very industrial factories, of whom they went out with a
complexion of peach !
We
have the privilege to possess numerous invoices which reveal us the
registry office of some of them, their place of conception and birth,
the great department store Métayer of Besançon in
which they were waited with the aim of an adoption for Christmas or
another holiday.
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In France, we know
that the S.F.B.J. is the result of the fusion of some of these
factories, in particular the most famous at the time for the quality
and the beauty of their fabrication, Jumeau, , Eden
Bébé F.Gaultier, Paul Girard and his Bebes Bru
etc.... to quote only those here.
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The
most ancient invoice in our ownership of December 5 and 6, 1905, is not
however an invoice of the S.F.B.J. but of the Factory of
Lunéville's toys, the Villard - Weill & Cie whose
house in Paris was 20 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, with a capital of
760.000 Fr-Or of time, what is not anything, but well retain this
number to make comparison following. So It sent at Métayer
Store of Besançon for 96,30 Fr-Or of Patiences, Automobiles,
Construction, Grocer's shops, Arcs, Cats, Dogs, Asses, Operas etc....
And
the invoice which follows it, also very ancient, is of the S.F.B.J.
which we shall not leave any more during a long moment. One can only
admire its presentation that names its most prestigious Associates and
shows the numerous medals obtained in various French or foreign World
Fairs, gold or silver, all printed in a very beautiful dark green on
white paper at the time, today a little bit yellowish brown..
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And
this first invoice sends to its customer of Besançon
different size of " Eden-Bébé " by half dozen or
dozen ! Articulated, Characters ( always by 1/4 of
dozen or 1/2 dozen ), Walkers, Dressed, Dressed wood, Babies -
shirts ( poupards, Rajah ( ! ) Clowns, Buffoons, Promenettes,
Puppet theatres, various outfits ( always by dozen, 1/2 or 1/4
of these ! ) the whole for a total of 581 Fr- Or.
This
invoice of October 26, 1910 is followed by the other one on the next
December 7. One sees representing there wigs Thibet, "Articulated ( 3
)", dozen Characters, Shoes and still Shoes by dozens and in different
sizes, still Wig this time in natural hair, " washable heads ", " fine
heads ", 2 dozens of " Mignonnettes ", 2 dozen
"Negress" for a total of 270,90 Fr-Or......We believe to dream ....
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On
these two invoices a discount of 2 % was made for this excellent
customer that was Mister Métayer, probably Director of this
Besançon's department store which we could compare, as we
were said to me, to Parisian Galeries Lafayette or B.H.V.
On
an invoice of the next year where the Babies are sent, even there, by
dozens for a sum 220,95 Fr-Or, we can read : - - - - - - -
->
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Regrettably we do not possess this notice which has of to leave
countable service for the workshops of assembly and repairs which this
store seemed to make if we well detail sendings.
Indeed,
in 1911 , several invoices show the sending either of a pair of hands
by post office (cost 20 Fr-Or) or of wigs, or rubber..
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But
the firm gets modernized and equips itself with a typewriter which
writes in blue or in purple. The first which we possess, dated March
26, 1912 tells the sending of a " Fine Head n ° 4, coiff. sewn
(put on, I suppose, but why sewn? ) and of one " Head Character
Poilé n ° 135, Size 2 ".
Before
leaving this first model of invoice, let us observe it very well : the
S.F.B.J. is a corporation with an enormous capital for the time of
4.180.000 Fr-OR ! ! ! The head office is the 8 of the street "
Pastourelle ", there even where was the so famous House Jumeau. But it
has two other branches, one in 160 Street Picpus and the third in 6
Street Montempoivre. These two addresses are surmounted with 6 golden
or silver medals going from 1878 ( Jumeau ) to 1900 (S.F.B.J.). Awards
a diploma of honor, out competition naturally, the other exhibitors
having any chance at this moment there to align themself in front of
this trust.
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Dolls
were forwarded by wood box in Besançon's station,
replacement parts sent by the post office. Finally, and it is funny,
the telegraphic address of the S.F.B.J. was
" PARISBEBE-PARIS "
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And
in 1913, the model of invoice changes. Less luxurious, black and white
simply, rewards and medals are evoked but do not appear any more and
throughout this year are sent only replacement parts. Until December
18, in week of Christmas, where a more enriched invoice, of a high
amount of 56,55 Fr-Or, mentions Babies, "Character" Heads , wigs half a
dozen front arm ( we shall return there ).
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On
April 6 following, in 1914 , a parcel of a head 237 Taille / 4 "
Poilée ", for 2 " 236 " with flat hairstyle. (
Ah ! it is the proof that there was many hairstyles
wavy or curled for this Baby ! )
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And there invoices jump from April, 1914 till March, 1915, in full war. After
this date, they are sent to Madam or still to Miss Métayer
who take so the relai without loosing courage in the adversity :
disease, appeal under flags? In the absence, which will be temporary,
of Mister Métayer, the house has to turn. And a beautiful
order by dozens and half-dozens of bare Babies etc....
Of
return in 1915, Mister Métayer resumes his orders of
provision of heads, feet ( ? ) and hands.
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If
invoices sent by the S.F.B.J. were white, assets in box of its
customers were on pink paper, depictions which the S.F.B.J. resumed
without problem.
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The
Store Métayer had no for only supplier S.F.B.J. So, just
before the first world war, we find several invoices of 1911 and 1914 "
Fleischmann and Bloedel " successor J. Berlin ( !....that does
not invent ! ) delivering several dozens different baigneurs, boats and
the other toys as well since Sonneberg in Thuringia as Fuerth in
Bavaria or still of its factory and shop 123 Faubourg Saint Martin in
Paris.
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And
then, we enter the war which settles down durably alas..... The last
contact with the S.F.B.J. long before, we find it in an illegible
handwritten, signed letter regrettably of August 14, 1915 which
acknowledges receipt of a postal order of 9 Fr credited at the expense
of Mister Métayer. ( There, it is voluntarily that
I content mentioning Fr for prices, Franc - gold, i.e the stability of
the value of the currency, goes away naturally because of
events ).
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Any
exchange between the S.F.B.J. and Mister Métayer until 1921
according to the documents that we have.
( 1* ) However,
the Métayer Firm continues to exploit its business. Himself,
his wife or his daughter continues to stock up with toys but somewhere
else.
So " Maison E.Foucault ", 15
Rue Béranger in Paris sends on April 23, 1917 toys of boys,
sabres notably.
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The
other one, " Les Jeux Réunis, 3 Rue des Haudriettes
in Paris 3° °, sends them an invoice not
detailed with 100,60 franc " La Fabrication Parisienne de
Jouets Bourrés Armand Weill " sends on December 11,
1918 a beautiful assortment of Bears, Monkeys, Japanese Snacks,
Canteens of La Manufacture de Sèvres etc..... And it is
interesting to notice that this house is taken up residence, also, as
the S.F.B.J. in 8 Rue Pastourelle. In front of the difficulties which
it met, the S.F.B.J. had had to rent or sell (?) a part of this
building formerly Jumeau. Let us not forget that Salomon Fleischmann
fled France and found refuge in Spain during this period.....
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In
June, 1919, " Les Bébés de
France " 14 Rue Drouot, sends three times 1/3 of dozen
( 4 of every so ) "Articulated" red Dress, squared
Dress, red Chaperon and an unbreakable ( ? ) head, all delivered in
Besançon's station.
In
August, 1919, it is " Cie Lyonnaise de construction de
voitures et de jouets d'enfant " who sends carts.
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And
also the " Manufacture de Lunéville Villard & Weill
" which possesses a branch in Paris 20 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth
delivers in September, 1919.
"
Au Perroquet " , " factory of toys of yesterday and of always " send to
1920 not less than 15 " Ornis " in four different models. ( I do not
know what are the Ornis ( in French : Perroquets maybe )
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Finally
the " Manufacture Gerbaulet Frères ", 35/37 Rue de Turenne
Paris 3 °, sends by rail 3 dozens devils boxes !! The dozen
being worth 12 franc.
But there we are on January 22, 1922... Let
us return in the exit of this horrible war, the big, the terrible war
at the beginning of which had been created the label UNIFRANCE so that
the buyers know the origin of the proposed products, from the French
manufactures and not imported from Germany.
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We
possess an interesting invoice on December 16, 1920, of the
" Manufacture de Bébés
Marcoux " eloquent in this matter.
See,
stamped to the left roughly " Société
Française des Bébés Marcoux
". And note also the two logos opposite in face where
"Bébés Marcoux" term floats on a French flag. We
do not know anything what it sends to Besançon for 1190 Fr
and by rail, but this invoice speaks us about many of the French
toys....
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It
seems that until second world war, the model of invoice adopted during
the first did not change. The last one in our ownership dates 1933 and
is sent to another storekeeper in dolls - toys of La Baule ( Bretagne
). There, two unbreakable heads, 2 goat wigs , 1 pair of legs and
several pairs of hands of different sizes. But presentation is exactly
the same, always the same so, exceptly the ribbon which must be
changed. Purple and not blue !
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The
one invoice of S.F.B.J. at present in our ownership and dating after to
second world war is of December 14, 1948. New and more than sober
presentation even though the references which contribute to sold always
are still there but discreet: Jumeau, Eden Baby, Bru. Medals are not
even more mentioned. We can read 3 times 4 details Art. ( Articulated?
) sent for a total of 14.038 F.
If
we recapitulate the number of Manufactures and Factories quoted in this
study, far from being exhaustive naturally, we notice that except the
famous S.F.B.J. , many of the other houses of toys existed for biggest
happiness of the children.
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Speaking
up to you of replacement parts sent with the aim of repairs, I enjoy
drawing your attention on the fact that certain collectors exclaim
sometimes: " Oh! It is an assembly, she had hands changed, the rubber
is not of origin, the wig is not good, it is not its leg etc.....! And
nevertheless, we have so certainly met some dolls in this situation but
where we were not probably able to anything reveal because repair was
very ancient . Have we them under estimated for all that?
Poupendol
is happy to give by means of the net the information which you were
able to discover and read above. The story of the doll has not yet
delivered all its secrets which we continue to discover, by looking a
little everywhere it is true. It needs a lot of tenacity, time, and to
feel for her a real interest close to the affection. It is to say to
you that we did not stop maintaining you !
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( 1* )To know the story of the S.F.B.J. during this
hard period, I send back you and advise you deeply a small black
opuscule, published Editions Polichinelle entitled "
Août 1914 ", writed by Mister Varenne-Caillard who replaced,
at a moment's notice, Salomon Fleischmann who had fled France and had
taken refuge in Spain.
Any
reproduction even partial 18.4.06 |
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