Did You Know? The History of Paris' Bistro Chairs | EUROtoday

The golden age

Polish expatriate Louis Drucker based his firm within the Oise village of Gilocourt in 1885. In 1912, Maison Drucker chaises-longues went down with the Titanic the corporate in the present day nonetheless – makes an armchair named after the ill-fated ship. In 1919, when the rattan business was at its peak, Drucker launched his first catalog and earlier than lengthy was producing the vast majority of rattan furnishings available on the market. With factories in Flavignac and Meaux, Grock has diversified by additionally manufacturing terrace tables and fuel patio heaters.

Meanwhile Maison Gatti, based simply over 100 years in the past when Italian furnishings maker Joseph Gatti arrived in France with a dream to create a household enterprise of devoted artisans, is positioned in Villemer, Seine-et-Marne.

All three homes hand-make their bistro chairs to strict requirements. Grock is a Made in France firm, and Drucker and Gatti are each Heritage companies vivant (dwelling heritage firms), an honor bestowed by the French authorities in recognition of their historic experience. It takes 5 years to coach workers to the usual required and with such a slender pool of personnel, turnover is low, and disruptions can upset the chain of information wrought a century in the past. In 2013, Maison Gatti needed to rebuild after its manufacturing unit was destroyed by fireplace, and all three firms had suffered in. the twenty first century, due to tough financial circumstances and rising competitors from low-cost options.