Dear Friends, we publish the next part of the virtual album. It is dedicated to GLASS ART. The fifth part of our album features the photographs of the works of famous French artists and art factories that determined the development of glass industry in the end of the XIXth and the first third of the XXth century. They are Emile Gallé, Daum Brothers, Müller Freres, Escalier de Cristal, Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, François Décorchemont, Burgun, Schverer & Cie, Legras & Cie, Christian Frères et Fils and crystal ware manufacturers of Saint-Louis.
Continuing the narration about the famous Glass Art artists, we present a fragment from the thematic catalogue "The Lines of Gallé. European and Russian Cased Glass of the Late XIX - Early XX centuries in Russian Museums collections". It is the story about Escalier de Cristal art manufactory.

 The widow of Desarnaud, née Rosalie Charpentier (1775-1842), founded the company in Paris in 1802. Her company was the first one where the objects combining carved crystal and gilt bronze were created. This innovation was a great success. The vases were awarded with gold medals at the French Industrial Exhibition in 1819.

 1820 - 1830's were the years of the company decline. The new heyday came in 1844. Beginning from that time her works were regularly awarded with gold medals in all exhibitions, where they were exposed. In 1847, the company passed into the hands of entrepreneurs Lahoche et Boin.

 Lahoche owned the company since 1852 and in 1857 Panier became the co-owner (Lahoche et Panier). In the XIXth century is became the major enterprise in Paris that manufectured and sold porcelain, crystal and furniture. The company concluded agreements with manufacturers for supplying the semi-finished parts made of various materials. Later the artists of the Escalier de Cristal art manufactory decorated those intermediates. Originally, the dinnerware and decorative objects made of crystal and bronze were produced there. The art furniture appeared in the assortment since 1870s.

 Escalier de Cristal art manufactory was one of the first companies that applied to the images of the far-eastern art in the middle of the 1870s. In the 1880s the major French glass artists ¬ Eugene Rousseau and Emile Gallé were collaborating with Escalier de Cristal art manufactory. Émile-Auguste Reiber – one of the well-known designers worked for the company. Since 1890, and until its closing in 1923, Panier brothers owned the company. Around 1900 Pannier brothers introduced a new line of vases "a la Galle", which became very popular.
Further on Escalier de Cristal art manufactory started to order glass forms, which were later engraved with acid. The orders were placed at the Brothers Appert Glass Factory, located in Verrerie de Clichy-sur-Seine, and in Cristalleries de Baccara.

Source: “The Lines of Gallé. European and Russian Cased Glass of the Late XIX - Early XX centuries in Russian Museums collections", Moscow, 2013. P.460.