The patent renewed in 1861. The antique French HURET dolls and marked accessories have grown as valuable collectors’ items. A small pair of leather HURET marked doll boots auctioned off for more than 3000 euros in France in 2023.
Leopold Huret
The inventor of the famous Huret fashion doll was the daughter of Leopold Huret. He appeared in 1813 in the Almanch du Commerce as a watchmaker mechanic. In 1822 he advertised as a mechanical engineer at the address of rue de Castiglione, no. 3. Then in 1826 a listing reads, “Patented by the King, the furniture store and the royal castles: makes padlocks, closures, other general utility machines.”
An 1831 article in a technological dictionary described how Leopold Huret made locks for carriages using very small keys and had made locks for the entrance doors of the Palais de la Bourse. The address was the same as it was in 1822.
In 1853 his address appears at Boulevard Montremartre 22.
1850 Huret Patent
In 1850 on December 16 Mademoiselle Adelaide-Aimee Calixte Huret patented an articulated molded jointed doll body. The illustration from the patent featured above. The patented doll had a gutta-percha jointed body and painted facial features, including painted eyes. The head and hands were made of bisque
Gutta-percha Dolls by Calixte Huret
The great progress made by the new invention of Huret’s dolls lay in their manufacture in gutta-percha which made them infinitely more solid than previous dolls. By this process, the joints offered much more resistance, which was an essential consideration when it comes to children’s toys.
The heads of these dolls, says the patent of December 16 of that year, were made of porcelain. The head ended with a spherical part which allowed them to take all the movements that one wants.
1856 Jumeau and Huret
The Huret dolls enjoyed a favorable review alongside Jumeau fashion dolls in 1856 in the Le Travail Universel. The reporter wrote (translated), “The dolls of Mr. Jumeau, of Mlle Calixte Huret are small characters irreproachable in form and dress; the small trousseaux which serve to dress these dolls are worthy of our best milliners and seamstresses.”
Another reported on Huret directly under comments of Jumeau in 1856 (translated) “Miss CALIXTE HURET (n° 8915), in Paris. The articulated dolls, in gutta-percha, have been invented by M Huret, for about three years; the idea is ingenious, the work perfect, the joints solid and well combined, the outfits are of an irreproachable taste, it is the most perfect product of the Exhibition in this genre; it is only to be regretted that the prices are too high for the article to become the object of a significant trade” (Rapports Jury Mixte International. Exposition Universelle de 1855. Paris: Imprimerie Impériale. 1856).
1857 The Huret Sisters
In 1857 the Annuaire-almanach du commerce listed: Huret, (Leopold), ingenieur-mécanicien lits et berceaux en fer (mechanical engineer iron beds and cradles), boul. Montmartre 22.
But that year in 1857 an announcement appeared in the Gazette des tribunaux (Gazette of the Courts: journal of jurisprudence and judicial debates) that announced, (translated):
“By private deed, made in duplicate in Paris on the twenty-seventh of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, registered on the twenty-seventh of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, folio 72, recto, box 6, received six francs by Pommey,
Mesdemoiselles Léopoldine HURET and Calixte HURET, adult sisters, domiciled in Paris, rue Drouot, 2, have formed between them a general partnership, whose headquarters are in Paris, boulevard Montmartre, 22, for the manufacture of chests, combination locks, beds, various iron furniture and articulated dolls for which they are patented.
The share capital is eighty thousand francs.
The company name is L.-C. HURET sisters.”
The Huret Sœurs (sisters) appear even in 1903 in the Official Journal of the French Republic at 22 boulevard Montmartre.
1864 Huret and Lonchambon
The younger brother of the Huret sisters joined with Remy-Amable Lonchambon in 1864 when the Huret sisters retired. The French newspaper Le Moniteur Universel made the following announcement (translated) in 1864 on April 14 (last page, far right top of the page)
852-From a private deed made in duplicate in Paris on the first of April one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, registered in Paris on the following fifth of April, folio 421, box 7, by the receiver who received six francs, It appears:
That a general partnership has been formed between Mr. Rémy-Amable LONCHAMBON, business manager, residing in Paris, rue des Moineaux, n. 16, and Mr. Louis-Emile-Léopold HURET, mechanic, residing in Paris, ue de Calais, n. 7, for the acquisition and operation of a business of cradles, planters, fancy iron furniture and articulated dolls currently belonging to the ladies HURET;
That the registered office of said company will be in Paris, boulevard Montmartre, n. 22;
That the duration of the company has been set at eight years which will begin to run from the first of July one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four;
That the corporate name and signature will be HURET ET LONCHAMBON; That the corporate signature will belong to the two partners for all the affairs of the company, but that the commercial effects created for the benefit of the company must bear the corporate signature of the two partners.
For extract:
HURET ET LONCHAMBON.Huret and Lonchambon dissolved on July 7, 1867. (Gazette des tribunaux : journal de jurisprudence et des débats judiciaires)
A New Era for the French Doll Industry
Dressed to Perfection
The Gazette de la Poupee in 1865 a short narrative had a character claim, “The Huret doll was dressed with that perfection and good taste which made her the first of the dolls of the aristocratic world. I will not describe her dress to you, at once so simple and so pretty in its details, and as for her person, you all know her, her reputation is European and the Huret doll will always be her!”
Les Jouets
Les Jouets by Henri Nicolle wrote about the Huret dolls back in 1868. “The dolls, called Huret, from the name of their inventor, have created a new industry in the trade of luxury dolls, and, as such, they have their marked place in the history of toys. Their trousseaus left nothing to be desired. Huret, a woman and the inventor, believed that the doll should be dressed by the child. But little children with clumsy fingers had mothers who begged for ready made items. This gave birth to the Huret trousseaus and doll house type furnishings.
Where to See the Huret dolls
The writer explained that people would see the dolls on Boulevard Montremarte describing the dolls as little blondes, with enameled eyes, with porcelain faces, dressed as little girls, in the latest fashion of the day: short dresses, low-cut and bare legs, shod in uncovered shoes; or pelisses, muffs and Hungarian boots, according to the season.”
The writer humorously continued, “Come the carnival, wearing, like Perrette, a simple petticoat and flat shoes or even cute clogs with blue stockings, they are disguised as Norman milkmaids, and the cotton bonnet over the ear makes them all mischievous. ” But the doll could dress well enough to serve tea in her own living room with a nice teaset. (The writer seemed to believe that the Huret dolls made as ladies would lead the industry to no longer make dolls as babies… and maybe later there would no longer be dolls.)
Wigs from Tibetan Goat and Heads from L’Isle Adam
The 1868 article gives some insight into the Huret doll wigs and the origin of the doll heads. At first they tried Astracan but it had spikes which made people give up. Then, also, because of the parting, the little wig could only be cut in the middle of the animal’s back. Therefore they switched to using the Tibetan goat hair instead. The writer mentions that the factory bought the doll heads from a factory on the L’Isle Adam.
Huret’s Lonchambon Era
The Annuaire-almanach du commerce in 1878 Huret listing read (translated), “HURET (Lonchambon succ.), articulated gutta-percha dolls, dressed and naked, trousseaux, small dolls’ merbles and others, cradles and beds, boulevard Montinartre, 22.” The listing names Lonchambon as the successor.
Huret’s Lemoine Era
In 1885 the Annuaire-Almanach du Commerce lists: “HURET (A. Lemoine successor), rich articles, special manufacture of dolls and bébé “HURET.” Unique house, boul. Haussmann, 34.”
The bébé “HURET shared many similar features as the Hurets’ fashion dolls in its painted facial features, articulated gutta-percha body, articulated joints with bisque hands. The doll is rarely seen these days but recently appeared at auction in France in 2023 auctioning off for over 17,000 euros (Laurent Bernard, Hotel Des Ventes, Maison de Ventes Aux Encheres). The doll head has no marks but is recognizable by her painted eyes, chubby cheeks, and closed mouth. The body may have a signature stamp “Bébé HURET.”
Interestingly Huret does not appear in the listings in 1886.
Huret’s Carrette Era
In 1897 Carrette is named the successor in the listing which advertises “poupees et bebes articules, boulevard hausmann, 34.” (Also found in the Annuaire-almanach du commerce for 1897).
Further reading
If you would like to see some French doll trademarks, click here.