English - Web d'Andy THOMAIN
Summary
- About Andy THOMAIN
- Journey in the world of art
- Exhibitions organized by the gallery: paintings, porcelains, enamels ...
- Exhibition catalogs: photographic illustrations,
- Biographical notes of Artists
- Media: Press articles and TV shows
- Studies - Research - Teaching
- Porcelain of Limoges - 250 years
- Enamels of Limoges - 900 years
- Consultant - works of art: Paintings - Enamels and Porcelain from Limoges
- Genesis - Family Business
- Thanks
- Team website
© Christian DAIGNAN Graphic Design
Trademarks:
Born in Limoges in 1948 in Limoges located in the center of France.
Coming from a family of wholesalers in seafood, shellfish, game, Foies Gras, ...
- Company created around 1900 by his grandfather Jean MAURIRAS.
Charismatic character, nicknamed "Sun" who predominated by his aptitudes end
negotiator in his professional food trade activity for half a century
in Limoges. Endowed with a great intelligence with an asserted authority, enriched with a being
generous and benefactor.
- Marguerite his wife, collaborated with constancy and solidity in the management of the company.
Succeeding her husband for a decade, during the 1960s.
- Important family business wholesaling food from
the Limousin region, in which from 1964, Andy worked from the age of 16,
for almost 30 years.
With his parents, Jean and Geo THOMAIN taking over the management of the family business,
persevering and tireless, driving forces behind modernity in the conception of management
of the company; under the brand "MAURIRAS-THOMAIN".
- Andy THOMAIN will invest in the implementation of innovative marketing actions ...
- The company's activity will cease in 1991.
« The beautiful things »
Since his teenage years, Andy has been fond of art and antiques.
He will do his job with taste and passion.
He created an Art gallery in 1986 under the name: « Galerie COROT».
The Boutique evolved in 1993 under the name: « ANDY THOMAIN ARTS DECO - GALERIE »
Its specialties are:
- The painters of the Crozant School (1850-1950) village located in Limousin
- Painted enamels of Limoges from the 16th to the 20th centuries
- Limoges porcelain from the 18th to the 20th centuries
1964 - Acquisition of Andy's first painting from a friend Antiques dealer in Limoges, Michel A.,
Shop he visited every week for ten years.
1974 - Joined the Friends of the Louvre Museum in Paris, in 1980 enrolled among the
first members of the Sté. Friends of the Musée d'Orsay, a museum which will only open in 1986.
1978 - Research of bibliographic documentation, almost weekly, in particular
at the library and at the museum of the bishopric of Limoges; on painters and
enamellers in Limousin.
1978 - Joined As. of the Friends of the Museums of Limoges, in 1982 joined the association
Adrien Dubouché.
1986 - Creation of an art gallery: Galerie COROT in limoges, specialized in painting
from the Crozant School, abstract painting from the 1950s, Limoges enamels from
XIX - XX centuries, Limoges porcelain from the XIX th to the ART DECO period (1920-1940)
1986 - First Thematic exhibition of lithographs by SEM (G. Goursat 1863-1934)
from: "La Belles Epoque", 1900, "to the Roaring Twenties", 1925.
1989 - Permanent exhibitions and Several Themes of Post-Impressionism Paintings
in Limousin and "L'Ecole de Crozant" from 1850 to 1950.
1991 - Appointed in the International GUIDE of Experts and Specialists 1991-1992, concerning
the Crozant School, and three artists: E. Alluaud (1866-1947), E. Debourg (1880-1939),
L. Detroy (1857-1955)
1992 - Beginning of DONATIONS to three museums in Limousin, enamels, paintings, works
graphics, porcelains, documents about artists or events
artistic; and this for almost 3 decades. And in recent years,
with the help of my daughter Isabelle Thomain.
Among the latest donations made in 2018, a charcoal and ink drawing
Adrien Dubouché (1818-1881) who was the greatest patron of the city of Limoges,
including the Nat. Ceramics bears his name.
1992 - member of the board of the last two International Email Biennials in Limoges,
participates in the creation and catalog of the exhibition on Emaux
"Art Deco of Limoges". Whose exhibition presentation was held at
Museum of the bishopric of Limoges.
(The Limoges International Enamel Biennials were Twelve creative events
arts in France from 1971 to 1994).
1993 - My gallery changes location and name to be called: "ANDY THOMAIN - Art Déco Galerie"
1993 to 1999 - Themed exhibitions of 19th century Limoges porcelain
at Art Deco (1920-1940)
1996 to 2005 - Becomes an expert consultant, in the three areas of his specialties: paintings
from the Crozant School, Enamels from the 17th to the 20th, and Porcelains from Limoges.
Member of the board of the last two International Enamel Biennials * by participating
actively from 1992 in the exhibition and catalog devoted to "Art Deco Enamels"
(1920-1940), whose presentation was held at the Museum of the bishopric of Limoges.
* Limoges international enamel biennials: twelve major enamel exhibitions from 1971 to 1994.
2014 - Appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Friends of the
Museum of Fine Arts of Limoges.
As such, he takes part with pleasure in the projects and decisions of the association.
2017 - Andy THOMAIN creates three brands concerning: Emaux de Limoges 900 years,
Porcelaines de Limoges 250 years old, Paintings of the Crozant school from 1840 to 1950;
these three brands are registered at the INPI.
(National Institute of Industrial Property, Art. L 712.2 - Intellectual Property Code)
2018 to date: - always captivated by the world of Art through exhibitions, sales and exhibitions.
of objects and paintings; he continues for his own pleasure or mandated as a
consultant to make acquisitions, and this for a decade.
- Andy has been doing studies and research on enamels and
Limoges porcelain, on the painting of the school of Crozant, in the
The aim is to share, to make discover artists and works,
sometimes forgotten in our cultural memory.
We have the pleasure to offer to the Limoges Museum Beaux Arts, with the complicy of my daughter Isabelle, jewellery in enamel from the XVIIth century to the XXth century as well as paintings from local painters to modestly contribute completing the beautiful collections of the Museum.
In the goal to share and introduce this ancient fire art of our city, which started in the Middle Ages : Enamels.
Plus, donations of Limoges' porcelain have been done to the Limoges Adrien Dubouché national Museum.
« Epicurean »
He likes good wine and gastronomy :
- His pleasure, travel France to the well-known vineyard
- He likes to dicover the coloured and scented markets from all around the world.
"The beautiful and delicious food"
This gourmet also likes to elaborate recipes
A TRADUIRE
Aurélie stall, market-garden-producer, at the market place des bancs, Limoges
During the sixties, he has the pleasure to wore clothes from dress designer in fabric from England and Italia.
During his trips, he likes to visit museum and go to exhibitions.
Jazz 1960 - Ladislas Kijno (1921-2012) - Oil 193 x 300 cm - Coll. Malou Kijno
2017 Exhibition - Saint Germain en Laye,"The Great Utopia of Kijno"
« Musical Sweetness »
In particular: "The Baroque of the XVII-XVIII centuries" of J. S. Bach, passionate and prolific creator of magisterial works, A.Vivaldi, and G. F. Handel ...
"Classical Period" by L. van Beethoven, great virtuoso,
mythical symphonies, icon of freedom.
To W. A. ??Mozart, The Genius to a lot of a diverse masterpieces expressing
Grace, emotion and power.
He loves the 1930-1980's Jazz :
Django Reinhardt, great gypsy jazz guitarist, founds the Hot Club of France, writes in 1940 "Clouds", adept of the bebop.
Miles Davis, a trumpeter with an original sound, a composer of great talent, who was able to reinvent his style to produce masterpieces.
Dave Brubeck, and his quartet, author of successful tracks.
Tito Puente, a Puerto Rican known as "El rey del timbal".
Michel Petrucciani, virtuoso on the piano and brilliant composer, despite his physical handicap.
Keith Jarrett, pianist but also practicing multiple instruments, his improvisations and his compositions are imbued by the various movements of jazz as well as by classical music.
Jacques LOUSSIER, creates "the Trio Play Bach", he turns classical musical works of Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart etc, in Jazz with finesse and subtility.
The singer-poet, humanist Georges Brassens and his famous guitar.
This musical selection is part of Andy's favourites.
« his sound dreams »
Animated scene - Watercolour circa 1920 - Léon Jouhaud (1874-1950)
picture by © Charlie ABAD
« Family »
« Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? »
Paul GAUGUIN - painter, wrote it in his eponymous painting in Tahiti in 1897 - Museum of Boston (USA).
« To forget its ancestors is a brook without a source and a tree without a root »
Chinese proverb
A FAIRE
7) The First Museum realized by the human being, 20 000 years ago
"Les Fresques" pictorial of parietal art.
Creation by the Cro Magnon man woman,
from the listed site of "La Grotte de Lascaux", Périgord, France.
When Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) visited the Caves recently
discovered (1940), he came to the conclusion about art that
"we have invented nothing"
------------------------------
Sergei Shchukin (1854-1936) collector, says in 1914
when he questions himself about Picasso's Cubist painting :
"He's probably right, not me ..."
------------------------------
"A painting lives only by the one who looks at it"
Pablo Picasso
Henriette MARTY (1902-1996) - Email Limoges - Vase 1926
Geometrical abstraction - Exceptional ball vase on copper shape model "Nantiat".
VASE decorated with four orange hexagons surrounding a black and white six-pointed star in the center, on silver straw.
Signed - Height : 24 cm Diameter : 28 cm - Unique piece
Authentication, dating collected from Artist H. Marty in 1991, this piece bears the n°326 of his study notebooks.
Exhibitions: - Museum of the Bishopric - Fine Arts LIMOGES: "EMAUX ART DECO" - XIth International Biennial of Email 1992
- Gallery of the Hospices - City hall of Limoges: "MERVEILLES D'EMAIL" Expo. FAURE 2012
Bibliography: - Catalogue XIe Biennale Limoges of the exhibition "Emaux Art Déco", reproduced on page 2.
- "Les Emaux ART DECO de l'Atelier Fauré - Limoges 1919-1985", by M. Kiener, reproduced page 99,
Editions culture & Patrimoine en Limousin, 2016.
Limoges, Andy Thomain collection, © photo Charlie Abad
"Let me introduce myself to you, through my professional path and relational connections, in the world of Art.
I began to be interested in art and antiques in 1964, when I acquired my first painting, I was 16 years old; a painting that I have kept ...
I did not have of cease from this date to learn and to discover, until making my trade from 1986 during about twenty years, by creating an Art Gallery, while working in the family commercial company in a quite other sector of activity.
To this day, still captivated by the world of Art through exhibitions, sales of objects and paintings; I am for my own pleasure or mandated as a consultant to make acquisitions, and this for the past decade.
1976 - beginning of my research and reviews of painters, enamellers, as well as the study of the various artistic currents existing in LIMOUSIN during the 19th and 20th centuries.
1979 to 1983 - National School of Decorative Arts of Limoges, where I follow drawing courses.
1987 to 1990 - Ecole du Louvre, Paris
- History of Art. Higher education provided during the series of thematic summer courses of the Paintings and Sculptures Department of the French Schools of the 19th and 20th centuries.
1986 - I create an art gallery, located in Limoges, Espace antiquités Brousseau,...
" COROT Gallery ".
Specialist:
- painters of the "school of Crozant" in Limousin from 1850 until the 1950s.
- enamellers from the 16th to the 20th centuries, porcelain from the 18th to the 20th centuries in Limoges.
I organize and carry out thematic exhibitions completed by catalogs in which are mentioned: the biographical or even iconographic notes of the artists and their works; completed and enriched with photographic documents reproducing paintings or objets d'art. »
- 1988 - Léo Reignier (1897-1981) "Post-Cubist works".
- 1988 - SEM: Exhibition organized in collaboration with the association Sem
- 1988 - Jacques Camus (1893-1970) "Abstract Paintings of the 50s".
Biographical note
- 1989 - "Paintings and enamels in Limousin (1890-1938)".
Artist Biographies
- 1991 - The School of Crozant (1850-1950) - Paysages Limousin
- 1994 - Pouyat de Limoges porcelain from the 19th century
- 1995 - Tapestries and Paintings by Fernand Maillaud (1862-1948)
- 1999 - "One hundred years of Limoges Porcelain", 19th / 20th century
EXHIBITION CATALOGS
1986 - Exhibition of SEM (Georges Goursat 1863-1934)
Andy THOMAIN - Galerie Corot - Brousseau Antiques Space
- Le Populaire du Centre - 20-11-1986 -
Some documents of SEM's work reproduced in this site come from the descendants of the family.
In 2017, a temporary exhibition was organized by Mr. Beauchamps, at the Maison du Patrimoine in Terrasson in Périgord.
SEM - Editions Fanlac - Périgueux, 1979
1987 - Exhibition of Edouard Debourg (1880-1939)
Landscapes of Limousin
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1988 - Exhibition of Léo Reignier (1897-1981)
Post cubist works
Portrait of woman cubing - oil circa 1944
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1988 - SEM (Georges Goursat 1863-1934)
Lithographs* of caricatures of the "Belle Epoque" years 1900s
until the "Roaring Twenties" 1925
Exhibition organized in collaboration with the Association
ome documents of SEM's work reproduced in this site come from the descendants of the family.
In 2017, a temporary exhibition was organized by Mr. Beauchamps, at the Maison du Patrimoine in Terrasson in Périgord.
SEM - Editions Fanlac - Périgueux, 1979
NEWPAPER ARTICLE - 1988
1988 - Exhibition Jacques Camus (1893-1970)
Abstract paintings of the 50's
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1989 - Paintings and Enamels in Limousin Exhibition (1890-1938)
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1989 - Exhibition of MELITO (Maurice Miot 1920-1994)
Abstract Paintings from 1945 to 1981
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR + Art Presse
1989 - The Limousin artists and Andy Thomain :
A look at post impressionism in Limousin
1990 - Exhibition: The Limousin post-impressionism
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1990 - Exhibition of Jean Louis Paguenaud (1876-1952)
Orientalism - Seas - Limousin
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1991 - Exhibition: The School of Crozant
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1993 - Exhibition of Léon Jouhaud (1874-1950)
enamels, watercolors, ceramics
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
©All reproduction rights reserved. The texts and images of this site are prohibited for all countries.
1994 - Exhibition: Pouyat porcelains of the 19th century
- Centre France - Le Populaire du Centre - 30-06-1994 -
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1995 - Exhibition: Porcelains by Camille Tharaud (1878-1956)
"One hundred pieces of porcelain"
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
1999 - Exhibition: One hundred years of Limoges porcelain
- Manufacturers: Comte d'Artois, Pouyat, Alluaud, Haviland, Bernardaud, Legrand, Tharaud ...
- Designers: Bracquemond, Dammouse, Dalpayrat, E.M. Sandoz, L. Jouhaud, Loewy, J.L Schmitt, Gagnère ...
Maryline ROGERIE - Centre France - Le Populaire du Centre - 24-10-1999 -
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
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Le site web en cours de réalisation sera enrichi et augmenté, au fil des mois d'éléments nouveaux; Ainsi que rectifié des imperfections des traductions.
The website under construction will be enriched and increased, as the month goes by, with new elements; As well as rectified imperfections of translations.
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El sitio web en construcción se enriquecerá y aumentará, a medida que pase el mes, con nuevos elementos; Así como las imperfecciones rectificadas de las traducciones.
Die im Aufbau befindliche Website wird im Laufe des Monats mit neuen Elementen bereichert und erweitert. Sowie korrigierte Unvollkommenheiten von Übersetzungen.
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MEDIA ARTICLE
Words of elders : Andy Thomain, in love with beauty! (YOUTUBE)
STUDY RESEARCH TEACHING
- 1991 à 1994 - Speaker-Teacher at the University of Limoges
in the Faculty of Letters and Humanities
DEUST diploma in cultural professions
Theme: "the art market in France".
During the same period at my gallery activity
to take again dates at the end of 1970 of the researches at the municipal library of limoges
on the painters of the school of crozant
18th century Limoges porcelain - Manufacture du Comte d'Artois
Decoration detail: "Roses of LIMOGES", sugar bowl circa 1780
collection Andy Thomain, © photo Charlie Abad
©All reproduction rights reserved. The texts and images of this site are prohibited for all countries..
LIMOGES PORCELAINS - 250 years old
XVIIIe - XXIe siècles (1771 - 2020)
©Andy Thomain
- 1997 à 1999 - Studies and Research: "218 Limoges Porcelain Decorations and others".
from the second half of the 19th century to the contemporary period.
The themes and descriptions were designed by Andy Thomain
The photos were taken by Roger Vulliez.
For a publication project by Maurice Lengellé-Tardy:
"decorations of French ceramics ». édition new TARDY
Thanks
I would like to thank Roger Vulliez, photographer, for these three years of investigation, without whom a great deal of work would have been impossible.
part of my documents could not have existed.
- For their support and their welcome, Mr. Michel Bernardaud, for his friendly solicitude
- Mrs. Lucile Lebraud in charge of heritage conservation at the Manufacture des Porcelaines Bernardaud in Limoges.
- The management of the Manufacture des Porcelaines Haviland in Limoges
as well as Mr. François Leciclé for the consultation of the company's archives.
- G.D.A. Royal-Limoges Porcelain Manufucture.
©All reproduction rights reserved. The texts and images of this site are prohibited for all countries..
LIMOGES ENAMELS - 250 years old
XIIe - XXIe siècles (1130 - 2020)
©Andy Thomain
- 2014 à 2020 - Recensions of enamellers' registration cards
limougeauds from the end of the 19th to the 20th centuries
at the Chamber of Trades of Haute-Vienne
I carried out the referencing of fifty enamellers' workshops.
of Limoges from the 1880s to the 2000s.
"Who have contributed to the fame of the arts of fire
With diverse and uneven creative qualities.
Forgotten from our cultural memory for some of them ".
This repertoire of the C.M.A. attests with certainty of their productions.
I accomplished during many weeks these investigations
with the assistance of Mrs. Catherine Rengear of the C.M.A.
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
ART OBJECT CONSULTANT
- 1996 à 2005 - Cabinet d'Expert-Consultant siren:337 637 763
- Paintings and Works of Art XIXth-20th centuries
- Limoges enamels 16th-20th centuries
- Porcelains of Limoges 18th-20th centuries
Missions to auctionneers, legal agents, antique fairs, ...
Examples of expertises carried out
Copy of the expertise of Andy THOMAIN, established on February 18, 1997
on behalf of: Dr. and Mrs... residing in Limoges
Samedi 18 novembre 2000
Estimate: 3 500 € - Result: 7 360 €.
Samedi 10 Février 2001
Samedi 27 avril 2002
PHOTOS ET NOMS A VENIR
TEXTE ci dessous A MODIFIER _ JOINDRE 5-6 PHOTOS
Doc. Robert Giroux 1954
ANDY THOMAIN
Fish shop MAURIRAS-THOMAIN
1964-1992
Before World War I, my grandfather Jean Mauriras was a fish merchant. He used to take the train with wooden crates filled with fish and he travelled to the fairs of the small towns around Limoges: Saint Yrieix, Nexon, Magnac-Bourg etc... During the 30's, he took a bench under the central halls. It was only afterwards that he decided to do some wholesaling around the halls, on the sidewalk, towards the end of the 30s.
I started to work in the family business in 1964 in the wholesale store in front of the halls that my father Jean Thomain had just set up with my mother (whom everyone called at the end of his career affectionately grandmother Geo) with all the latest equipment: refrigerated rooms, electric scales, lifts etc.. to work in the best conditions. More precisely in the month of May, date of my grandfather's death, I was not yet 16 years old. For the little story, I had to hide from my grandfather that my father had bought the building to set up a modern wholesale store. He had wondered who the owner of the business was shortly before his death.
In the 50's, my parents lived with my grandparents in a huge house called "la villa", located in the middle of a large park and large garages where cars, trucks, the famous 2cv delivery vans painted in bright red with the name and company name written in very large letters as advertising; park with more than 100 rose bushes, and a vegetable garden where I grew gooseberries that I picked and sold to greengrocers under the market. On the extended terrace of the park, we stored the largest wooden crates that we would take back every 2/3 months to the fishing ports.
After the Second World War. There were a dozen fish merchants in addition to the three wholesalers at the halles, often single, sometimes widows and at the time they wrapped the fish in newspaper!
We received our fish by wagon which came from Concarneau, Lorient, Douarnenez; later in the 70's from Finistère-North of the Bigouden ports: Loctudy, Saint Guénolé, le Guilvinec. Also from Vendée Des Sables-d'Olonne. The shellfish of Roscoff or Plougasnou where there were gigantic seawater tanks. Oysters from Gujean Mestras-Arcachon, especially from Marennes and mussels from the bouchots of Vendée. Coming also from Boulogne-sur-Mer with among other products that fresh fish, their specialities which were smoked fish such as herring fillets and on the other hand for its importation of fish, mussels and grey shrimps from Holland or Norway . From the 1940s to the early 1960s, a refrigerated wagon was parked at the Benedictine station to store the unsold goods of the day. Tidal transport in refrigerated trucks by road from Brittany and Boulogne-sur-Mer began in the early 1960s for delivery directly to the halls four days a week.
Different types of customers were served: retailers selling fish under the halls, others who sold door to door in Limoges, but many of them in the countryside in their vans on tour or at fairs and markets, communities: schools, hospitals, armies, etc. .... We distributed in the Haute-Vienne and much further afield as we also delivered in Corrèze, Charente Limousine and Creuse.
At that time, skate wings were eaten in large quantities, it was the favorite fish of the Limousin people. We received 8/900 kg per week, more during the Holy Week before Easter, where people observed Lent and ate only fish on Fridays, in crates containing 25 or 50 kg of skate with the skin that had to be skinned, it was a long and tedious work. It was only much later that the weight of the packaging was reduced to 5/10/20 kg and it was packed in polystyrene crates. I knew the bags of mussels packed in 25 kilos, so when you had stirred 2/2.5 tons of mussels several times a week during the peak season from June to December, you could have a little backache. Now they are packed in 3 kilo bags! The handling was rather difficult. We would start the day around 3:00 am and the wholesale work would end around 9:00 am. Then, the activity continued with the retail sales until 1 p.m.
In the 70s, my grandmother who had inherited from her husband (Jean Mauriras) the wholesale and retail fish shop divided it between her son and her daughter (my mother who had started working with her parents under the halls around +/- 1937 kept the wholesale clientele with my father). There was a large clientele, especially the wives of local dignitaries who did not work and who came to do their shopping every morning, which brought a large number of buyers in the often overcrowded aisles and a dense activity of the merchants every day under the market. The working class clientele, who worked during the week either in footwear or in porcelain, came rather on Saturdays, when there was a real rush.
There was great camaraderie and mutual aid among the merchants, even if sometimes there was some jealousy. In the 50s and 60s, butchers or wholesalers/retailers "went up" from the rue de la boucherie to take a bench under the covered market, while keeping their stalls in the street.
It should be noted that, especially for the Saint Loup fair, at least 2 to 300 kilos of skate wings were sold, fried in very large basins in the restaurants of the halles during the day, the speciality of which was the steak fried in lard fat. There were pantagruelic snacks from 7 o'clock in the morning with woodcock, partridges in hunting season and big ribs. Especially at the bistros around the covered market which were at the time "institutions" where all Limoges was crowded, open in the morning from 5 am until after lunch service around 16/17 pm: the Cerf held during the 50/60's by Mr. Emile, with his little Clark Gable moustache, which served his famous dry white wines from Alsace with his famous oyster bed in front of the restaurant from September to April, his son-in-law Lucien in the dining room, his wife and daughter in the kitchen. I also appreciated their successors who ran the restaurant for three generations: the grandmother, a very good cook, the parents and the daughter; also the Lapin Sauté belonging to Mr. & Mrs. Ratinaud, who used to prepare the delicious sauces, being the former cook of the famous double star restaurant "Grand Véfour" in Paris (which still exists). Also the Bar du Louvre where I knew three different owners, the Fer à Cheval where you can still admire today a fresco representing some of the shopkeepers of the halles of the early 60s. Most of the new guests have changed the names of the signs, even if the bistros still exist ... After my work, I would eat around 10 o'clock at the rabbit Sauté, often fish from small boats, very fresh (night fishing) gilded in the frying pan, and then nothing at noon ... I would take a nap.
I remember having made advertising campaigns on billboards 2.70m x 3m, in all the Limousin, we were the first in France as a fish wholesaler, as well as in the local press. Where we advertised our promotions and new products such as game, foie gras and substitutes, frozen products etc. that were not part of the tidal products. By the way, I imported game from Scotland: Woodcock, partridges, hares, pheasants, roe deer etc. from France, wild boar, fallow deer... crayfish from Turkey, lobsters and salmon from Scotland and Canada. In December, which represented almost 20% of annual tonnage, the most important period, almost 35/40 tons of foodstuffs were sold during the month. One year, 1,500 tons of Cuban lobster were sold. I also brought in Croisic flea lobsters during the fishing season, which is the summer, which no longer exist today... They were the best lobsters in the world. There was a large volume in tonnage, we made in percentage: 70% in fish, crustaceans and shellfish and 30% other products such as game, frozen offal, foie gras; and also very rare dishes such as thrushes* and ortolans* in authorized season, from St. Geours de Maremne in the Landes, hedonistic and refined products (*whose sale is forbidden now).
The sanitary constraints that have become increasingly harsh have made this profession evolve. Before the 1970s, we didn't need a refrigerated vehicle to deliver over very short distances. It wasn't until 1973, the day my son François was born, that I went to get our first new low-temperature refrigerated truck. One year, we even delivered fillet of beef for Saviem's end-of-year meal for more than 2000 people. For the anecdote, while the fresh products were present under the markets and the wholesale fresh products at the place des Bancs and rue de la Loi, well we were two wholesale fishmongers at the markets selling 3 to 400 kilos of button mushrooms per week ... go figure out why, it must have gone well with the fish!
In the basement of the halles, in the 50's, we had installed basins for fresh water fish. They could hold 2 to 2.5 tons of live fish. There were carp, tench and pike coming from the ponds of the Brenne river in Berry, species of fish that were sold in large quantities during the 40's and 70's. The ponds were also used to catch carp, tench and pike. In our freshwater and seawater tanks, in our wholesale store, we could make up to 4/500 kg per week of live trout in the summer.
Always under the halls, some cheese makers were maturing their cheeses, in the basements where they had their storage cellars it was extraordinary...But it is cheese that we can no longer find nowadays with two or three exceptions...On the one hand, almost everything is pasteurized and on the other hand, they really knew how to mature their cheeses. Until the 1970s, still in the basement of the halls, there were even market gardeners from the countryside who sold to wholesalers, retailers and restaurant owners between 4 and 7 in the morning. Finally, there was as much food in the halls as there was underneath. In fact, some had taken up residence there... We often had the company of big rats. When we arrived in the morning, we certainly disturbed them in their business so we saw them running to cross the sidewalks. I was just 16 years old and they scared the hell out of me. I remember that we had two employees, Louis and his brother René (legends of the halles), who would run after them to crush them with their boots. In the winter, to keep them warm, these employees had their rubber boots filled with newspaper.
At that time, there were 4 to 5 restaurants inside the halls. The first time I broke the crust, I must have been 7 or 8 years old at the end of the 50s. What memories! It must be said that the bugs that came to eat there were much bigger than the rats! (laughs)
Today, the halls have to sell 15 to 20 times less fish than 35/40 years ago. Large wholesale and retail areas have taken their place. When I started working in and around the halls, I knew six tidal wholesalers in the 1960s. I discovered that there are varieties of fish that were not eaten in the past and which are now offered on supermarket shelves. In restaurants, I see names of fish that I never sold.
I know that at the market, the volumes of fish sales are no longer the same. Buying habits have changed. In the past, people used to do their shopping in the morning and now it's more like coming home from work at the end of the afternoon. Couples, even notable ones, often work together.
It seems to me that opening the afternoons on weekends would not be bad, but is it possible and profitable?...Like in Montpellier, Orleans or other cities. I sometimes wonder if in 30 or 40 years, it might not be a supermarket that takes over, in a large part of the halles as in Bordeaux...Times change!
© Graphic Design Christian DAIGNAN
Workshop of M.C. Pauthier in Saint Estephe, Dordogne, April 1988, photo R. Vulliez.
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Workshop of M.C. Pauthier in Saint Estephe, Dordogne, Feb 2017, photo Charlie ABAD.
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Workshop of P. Hyvernaud, Limoges, April 2016, Photo Mary Colras - Thomain
Louis XVIth mohogany chest of drawers, 18th century, restored by
Pierre Hyvernaud, sept 2016, Photo Mary Colras - Thomain
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Paul BUFORN, Limoges, sept 2016, Photo Mary Colras - Thomain
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Simone et Christian CHRISTEL, Limoges, sept 2016, Photo Mary Colras - Thomain
I have had the pleasure of broadening my knowledge of Christian's long career as an enamel artist.
from the 1950s to the present day. The importance of his work is inscribed in the history of the
Fire Arts of Limoges in the 20th century.
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As well as, for their benevolent welcome,
full of skills, erudition, know-how and expertise
in Cultural Heritage Institutions,
of two Museums of Limoges with the help of their collaborators.
Which make you want to come and visit the superb permanent collections on display:
of enamels, paintings, ceramics - porcelain, glassware, etc...
Radiance and identity of our city for 900 years.
All my gratitude, to
- Serge JOFFRE, humanist, elegant, former director and editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper
"Le Populaire du Centre", a great professional.
- Jean Marc FERRER, Art historian, creator and editorial director of Les Ardents éditeurs.
Publishing house specialized and dedicated to the works of the Limousin cultural heritage.
- Jean Marc GABOUTY, our friendly relations date back to 1958, when we spent
our childhood in the same boarding school.
For many decades, he always showed me his discreet benevolence.
Founder and manager of five companies in the graphic arts sector since 1983.
- Dominique MANDONNAUD, creator, his friendly advice during the decades 1970/1980,
have been a precious help through my professional achievements. Great businessman,
In 1969 he invented the selective distribution of perfumes and cosmetics in France.
- Robert GIROUX, The commercial relations between our families date back to 1925.
The Giroux were producers of ice for the preservation of our seafood products.
From the 1960s on, Robert developed two other professional activities:
Carrier and Sales Room Agent in Limoges.
For decades, his friendship has been unfailing.
For their support, Brigitte, Thierry, Sébastien.
2014 à 2018 - For their collaboration in the computer development of the website
Translators
Pauline (English) - Kristina (Dutch, German) - Claude (Chinese) - Kirill (Russian)
Maribel (Spanish, Portuguese)
A Modifier emplacement: Face photo
- Cédric Foc-Hine?, Professional computer scientist, Autoentrepreneur,
For the implementation and the graphic layout
to the creation of the website in duo with A. Thomain
Cédric Foc-Hine et Andy, Realization of the website, Limoges, March 2017, photo Charlie ABAD.
© Henri Coldeboeuf
Charlie Abad, since 1977, Photographer-author
has numerous solo and group exhibitions in France and abroad.
Publications of portfolios in the photographic press from 1977 to 2017.
In 2016, he publishes a book entitled "Clins d'oeil" 165 images from 1972 to 1985.
2019 -EXPO 200 photos "les 72èmes OSTENTIONS LIMOUSINES" two glances of authors:
(C. Abad, H. Coldeboeuf) - St Junien (H-Vienne)
Charlie has been reporter press photographer:
from 1977 to 2015 for renowned magazines.
He has produced documents for several publishing houses;
as well as commissions for cultural institutions:
(G. Pompidou center, Louvre Museum...).
TEAM WEB SITE - THANKS 2018
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English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese.
