Company Profiles, F. Ghelfi, Birolleau & Cie. (F.G.B.C.), F.G.B.C. (F. Ghelfi, Birolleau & Cie.), French Stones

Chapter:”Short detailed chronology” & “In conclusion”

Who were the people behind F.G.B.C…?

(written by  Jethro aka Fikira, historyrazors.wordpress.com)

“F.G.B.C.” produced & sold many sharpening stones, for example:
“pierre La Lune”, “Special Stone only for Good Razors”,
“New Master Stone”, … This article (split up into different chapters)
reveals the history behind the company

Chapters:

Lastly, a really short detailed chronology Emoji:

1845 “Maison Fondée en 1845”
1873 “Bardotti, Giovanace” (“Giovannacci”),
“29, Rue Saint-Marguerite”
≤1883-1885 “Giovanacci brothers, “29, Rue Saint-Marguerite“
≤1883-1885 “Bardotti & Ghelfi“, “106, faub St-Antoine“,
(“Bardotti“, “Constantin & Laurent Ghelfi“)
≤1886 “Hélin & Malaspina”
1886 “Hélin et Cie“, “passage d’Angoulême (d’Augoulême), 9”
1886 “Bardotti, Ghelfi & Cie“, “106, faub St-Antoine”
(“Bardotti“, “Constantin Ghelfi” & “Malaspina“)
1886-1889 “Giovannacci (D.-Dominico)” & “Laurent Ghelfi“,
“rue Ste-Marguerite, 29”
1886-1889 “Montedonico, Ghelfi & Co“,
“44 (54?), Great Sutton-street, London”
(“Giovanni Baptista Ghelfi” & “Joseph Montedonico“)
1889/ 24 February “Ghelfi & Cie“, “106,faub. St.-Antoine”
(Constantino Ghelfi“, “Malaspinas Léopold” &
“Capriata-Démosthênes Jean“)
1890/ 10 Juin Judicial liquidation “Demosthenes et Cie”
“106,faub. St.-Antoine”
1890/ 6 September “Constantino Ghelfi” went bankrupt together
with “Malaspinas Léopold” & “Capriata-Démosthênes Jean”
“106,faub. St.-Antoine”
≤1890 “Laurent Ghelfi” & “Dominico Giovannacci” moved to
“84, Rue du Faubourg St-Antoine“, their steam plant, moved from
“rue Ste-Marguerite, 29” (see 1886) to “r. de Charonne, 61“
≥1890 “Demosthènes & Cie” (Capriata Demosthènes Jean),
“Faub.-St-Antoine, 56 & 66“, steam plant, “passage du Chantier, 5″
1893 “J. Demosthènes & Cie“, bankrupt “5, passage du Chantier”
1893 – ≥1897 “Demosthènes & Cie”, new company, still at
“Faub.-St-Antoine, 66” (not anymore at “Faub.-St-Antoine, 56“),
steam plant moved to “passage du Chantier, 16”
1894 “Fernand Ghelfi” moved to “Faub.-St-Antoine, 56“
(living there)
1894 “Antonin BIROLLEAU“, administrator quarries
“Merviller-Vacqueville”
1896 “A. Birolleau“, exploiting sandstone quarries at “muschelkack”
1897 “Anonymous company” of the quarries “Merviller-Vacqueville”
1897 “Jean-Baptiste Ghelfi” joined
⇒”Giovannacci D.” & “L.&B. Ghelfi”
⇒”84, Rue du Faubourg St-Antoine”
1902/ 1 January “Ghelfi (L. & B.)” sold
“84, Rue du Faubourg St-Antoine” to “Giovannacci”
1902/ 31 December “D.Giovannacci” resold
“84, Rue du Faubourg St-Antoine” to “Belle”
1903 “Fernand Ghelfi” founded “F.Ghelfi & Cie” “7, rue Charlot”
1908 “Belle” moved from “84, r. du Faub. St.-Antoine“ to
“87, r. du Faub. St. Antoine“
1908-1912 The “maisons” or “houses / etablishments” of
⇒”F.Ghelfi & cie” and “Birolleau” became united,
⇒”F.Ghelfi & Cie” “7, rue Charlot”
⇒”Maisons F.Ghelfi & Cie Birolleau réunies” ⇒ “F.G.B.C.”
1911/ 16 April “Valentin Ghelfi“, son of “Constantino Ghelfi”
⇒”80, r. St-Maur.”
1916 “Belle“, successor of “D. Giovannacci and L.& B. Ghelfi”
“87, Faubg. St. Antoine”
≤1922 “F.Ghelfi & Cie”
⇒”Maisons F.Ghelfi & Cie Birolleau réunies” ⇒ “F.G.B.C.”
⇒”47,Rue de Saintonge“, aside to “7, Rue Charlot”
1923 “Vve (= widow) Valentin (?)“, “80, r. St-Maur.”
1923 “Birolleau” bought the rights of the company “F. Ghelfi & Cie“,
“47, Saintonge” from “Demuth”
≤1931 “Birolleau” (sons) owns the firm:
“F.Ghelfi & Cie” “Anciens établissements”
⇒”Birolleau Fils, propriétaires”
≤1935 “Vve Valentin Ghelfi” became the owner of
“établissements BELLE”
“87, r. du Faub. St. Antoine”
≤1939 “Sir Laurent Ghelfi” went back to Italy (Pontremoli – MS)
≤1952 “F.G.B.C.“ “Nouvelle Société des Anciens Etablissements”
⇒”F.Ghelfi, Birolleau & Cie” “47, Rue de Saintonge, Paris”
1957/ 28 December
⇒”Nouvelle Société des Anciens Etablissements F. Ghelfi, Birolleau et Cie“,
“Société à responsabilité limitée” or S.A.R.L.
= “Limited liability company”
≤1985≥ “Nouvelle société des anciens établissements”
⇒“F.Ghelfi, Birolleau & Cie” “47, Rue de Saintonge“⇒ “F.G.B.C.“
⇒“Meules et pierres à aiguiser et à polir”
≤2007 “Nouvelle Société des Anciens Etablissements F. Ghelfi, Birolleau et Cie“,
S.A.R.L. , wholesale supplier, “5 rue de Douai, Paris”
2011   moved to “156, rue de Tolbiac” until 2014

In conclusion:

There were a couple of agricultural families originated from
Mulazzo, Lunigiani who, because of financial reasons, needed to
go into the world. They firstly became traveling sellers of
stones, books,… until settling down in, for example, Paris.
They kept on selling fantastic high quality grinding, sharpening
and honing stones, of which we still have the supreme
pleasure of using them!

 There is still loads of information to be gathered, for instance,
we know that “F.G.B.C.” distributed stones to other suppliers
as for example “Manufrance”. 

Occasionally, there are stones to be found as the
“Special stone only for good razors”, together with a label of
“Manufrance Saint-Etienne”.

In catalogs of “Manufrance” there are also links to be found of the
“Special stone”, for example this “Special stone” / “Pierre spéciale”
with very fine grit. The stone has two sides, one for honing a
“D.E. blade“, the other for “straight razors“:

 courtesy of “David M Rosenstein”; Catalog “Manufrance” 1961:

1961 Manufrance David M Rosenstein


The future will give us hopefully more information,
so that we can discover even more about its fascinating history…

 Written for and with the huge help of:
“razorlovestones.wordpress.com Link“,
Fikira
 

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