Petitcollin is a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
toy manufacturing company. It is the last French factory of Swimmers, Poupons and traditional dolls still operating. It still manufactures the plastic version of the swimming
doll
A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
Petit Collin, production of which began around 1924-26.
History
In the early 1800s, Nicolas Petitcollin, the company's founder, manufactured horn combs in
Étain,
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
, France. Since 1864, the company has been headquartered in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Nicolas Petitcollin began working in
celluloid
Celluloids are a class of materials produced by mixing nitrocellulose and camphor, often with added dyes and other agents. Once much more common for its use as photographic film before the advent of safer methods, celluloid's common contemporar ...
in the late 1800s. In 1901, the company adopted an eagle's head logo, which it retains to this day. It has been listed on the
Paris Stock Exchange
Euronext Paris is France's securities market, formerly known as the Paris Bourse, which merged with the Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Brussels exchanges in September 2000 to form Euronext NV. As of 2022, the 795 companies listed had a combined market ...
since November 27, 1906. It began manufacturing dolls in 1912.
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the factory in Étain was completely destroyed. Nonetheless Petitcollin thrived during the
interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
. Around 1924-1926, the Petitcollin company innovated by launching on the market a baby doll which can be bathed, the swimming doll "Petit Collin". With the arrival of
polyester resins, Petitcollin decided to specialize in manufacturing objects made from the material. In 1961 it became the first French manufacturer of polyester resin helmets, operating from a rebuilt factory in Étain.
In 1995, Vilac acquired the company, which became known as
SARL Jouets Petitcollin. The factory has been open to the public since 1998. It is the only operational doll factory in France; the company was given the
Label Entreprise du partimoine vivant (Living Heritage Company label) by the
French government
The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...
in 2007.
The association of local authorities around Étain built a museum dedicated to the brand; it opened in September 2009. On October 19, 2009, the French post office emitted a dolls stamps collection. A Petitcollin swimming doll appeared on one of them.
External links
Official website* Distributed in UK and EIRE b
Asobi
Toy companies of France
Toy companies established in the 19th century
French brands
{{Toy-company-stub