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Monday, 14 May 2007 |
In 1764 King Louis XV of France gave permission to found a glassworks in the town of Baccarat in the Lorraine region in eastern France to Prince Bishop Cardinal Louis-Joseph de Laval-Montmorency (1761-1802). Production consisted of window panes, mirrors and stemware until 1816 when the first crystal oven went into operation. By that time over 3000 workers were employed at the site.
Baccarat received its first royal commission in 1823 from King Louis XVIII of France. This began a lengthy line of commissions for royalty and heads of state throughout the world. This was also a period of strong international growth.
In 1855 Baccarat won its first gold medal at the World's Fair in Paris.
Baccarat first began marking its work with a registered mark in 1860. The mark was a label affixed to the bottom of the work.
The crystal production expanded its scope throughout this period, and Baccarat built a world-wide reputation for crafting the finest quality stemware, chandeliers, barware, and perfume bottles.
The Imperial Era ended in 1867 with the defeat of Napoléon III. Influences outside of France began to have a stronger influence on Baccarat's work during this era, particularly imports from Japan.
Strong growth continued in Asia for Baccarat.
One of the strongest production areas for Baccarat was perfume bottles, and by 1907 production was over 4000 bottles per day.
In 1936 Baccarat began marking all of its works via acid or sandblasting.
Baccarat created an American subsidiary in 1948 in New York City. By 2005 there were 13 stores in the United States.
A retrospective was held in 1964 at the Louvre Museum to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the crystal works.
In 1993 Baccarat began making jewelry and in 1997 they expanded into perfume.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 September 2007 )
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