The name Halopeau identifies a highly valued and hard to find antique French doll, especially the doll’s bisque head. A beautiful example of a rare Halopeau doll in antique dress sits on exhibit at the Barry Art Museum.
Halopeau Doll Head Auctioned
The head alone auctioned off for over 19,000 euros before buyer’s premium at the Quai Des Encheres (auction house) in Macon, France in September of 2023! The head is marked with a number and the block capital letter H. For provenance, the auction house said this particular doll head sat in the same cabinet since 1920 without ever having been moved. (featured image is used with permission)
Connection to Barrois
According to Theimer’s Encyclopedia of French Dolls, Halopeau purchased the Barrois business in 1877. One can see in the almanac of 1862 E. Barrois’s doll factory at the address of St. Martin 192 which Halopeau then uses.
The Annual Almanac of Commerce of 1883 gives more details that helps us understand Halopeau’s connection within the French doll manufacturers of the 19th century. The 1883 listing for Halopeau describes the Halopeau company as the “Old Barrois House.” It reads: “Halopeau (ancienne maison Barrois) fabr. de bebes incassables tetes biscuits, fournitures pour poupees, commission , exportation, St. Martin, 192). In other words a baby doll factory, supplying bisque doll heads, other doll supplies, working for commission and in exports.
(© Dave Chance Photography / used with permission)
The French Annual Almanac of Commerce Listings
In 1881 the French book “Annuaire-Almanach du Commerce” (or Annual Almanac of Commerce) has two separate listings for Halopeau at two different addresses that present a bit of a mystery. Halopeau, A.’s doll factory (fabr. de poupees) at an address of St. Martin 192. The same 1881 issue has a second listing for a “Halopeau” as “factory of unbreakable dolls” or “fabr. de bebes incassables” at an address of Fourey, 12. One listing specifies the first initial of “A” whereas the second does not. The first listing specifies “poupees” whereas the second says “bebes incassables.”
One can find a listing in the January 1886 issue of the French Annual Almanac of Commerce. The listing simply reads “Halopeau, (A.), fabr. de bebes.” In the same issue he had a second brief easy to miss listing among other more well known French doll makers like Jumeau and Rabery under the category of “poupees.” This listing only gave an address of St. Martin 192.
In 1883 the almanac has his listing as “Halopeau, (A.), fabr. de bebes, St-Martin, 192.”
In 1885 and 1887 Halopeau, A. has a listing for “fabr. de bebes.”
Halopeau Bankruptcy and Return
The company sat among a listing of bankruptcy declarations for January 4 in the French newspaper Le Temps (7 Jan 1889). The listing read, “Halopeau, fabr. de jouets, rue St-Martin, 192. S. pr., M. Bernard, déjà nommé.” The address of St-Martin 192 connects back the “Halopeau, A.” found in the 1881 listing. The listing mentions toys (jouets), not dolls (bebes). Despite this bankruptcy one can find him mentioned again in 1892 in the Annual Almanac of Commerce at an address for Moliere, 20.
In 1896 one could find Halopeau Bebes (dolls) listed in the Paris-Addresses: General Directory of Industry and Commerce. The listing reads “Halopeau, bebes, pas. Moliere, 20, et St-Martin, 157-159. He had a brief listing a year later in the Official Directory of Toys & Games, Bazaars, Trinkets, Articles from Paris and Related Industries mentioning the doll factory on page 47 of the January 1897 issue.
In 1898 the almanac lists “Halopeau, fabr. de bebes, pass. Moliere, 20” using the same address found in 1896 in Paris Addresses. He has a second listing that year in the section for makers of “bebes incassables” found among the other famous makers like Bru, Jumeau, Denamur, and Rabery.
Other Resources
The Encyclopedia of French Dolls (vol. 1) by Francois and Danielle Theimer gives beautiful clear photos of the faces up close and an example of the doll body. It also gives a little more detailed history.
One can sometimes find a Halopeau doll for sale or images of one that has sold at the Rubylane website.
Further Reading
- See some other French Doll Marks here.
- See some French doll shoe markings here.
- See other French doll trademarks, click here.