André Galle (27 May 1761,

Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...

– 21 December 1844,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

) was a French engraver and

medallist A medalist (or medallist) is an artist who designs medals, plaquettes, badges, metal medallions, coins and similar small works in relief in metal. Historically, medalists were typically also involved in producing their designs, and were usually e ...

. In 1829, he patented a type of

roller chain Roller chain or bush roller chain is the type of chain drive most commonly used for transmission of mechanical power on many kinds of domestic, industrial and agricultural machinery, including conveyors, wire- and tube-drawing machines, pr ...

, known as a leaf chain, which is still used for low-speed, heavy duty applications. It was not put into production during his lifetime.

Biography

André's father was an engraver who specialized in decorating rifles. Unable to support his family in Saint-Étienne, he relocated to

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

, where André became an apprentice in a button factory, but also received drawing lessons. His work attracted the attention of a local artist named Bergeon, who helped him gain admission to the

Academy of Lyon __NOTOC__ The Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts of Lyon (French: Académie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts de Lyon) is a French learned society founded in 1700. Its founders included: * Claude Brossette, lawyer, alderman of Lyons, an ...

. At the factory, his problem-solving and technical abilities led to his being named a partner. In 1779, aged only eighteen, he married Marie-Catherine, née Lejeune., After the factory owner and his wife had died, Galle became the company's sole proprietor. He focused on the engraving and production of medals, and became a Master Engraver in 1785. Four years later, he opened his own engraving studio, where he appears to have specialized in seals and stamps for various

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

organizations. In 1792, as a result of these activities, the City of Lyon appointed him a delegate to Paris, to discuss the use of metal from bells. There, he produced two coins from bell metal, one of which depicted Mirabeau, an early leader of the Revolution. This prompted the

Committee of Public Safety The Committee of Public Safety () was a committee of the National Convention which formed the provisional government and war cabinet during the Reign of Terror, a violent phase of the French Revolution. Supplementing the Committee of General D ...

to commission a medal of

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

and the Hydra; symbolizing the French people destroying the Monarchy. He decided to remain in Paris; working with

Augustin Dupré Augustin Dupré (6 October 1748 – 30 January 1833) was a French engraver of currency and medals, the 14th Graveur général des monnaies (Engraver General of Currency). Biography He began his career as an engraver at the royal factory for ...

, the Engraver General of coins and medals. Later, he would produce a series of medals celebrating the

French campaign in Egypt and Syria The French invasion of Egypt and Syria (1798–1801) was a military expedition led by Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars. The campaign aimed to undermine British trade routes, expand French influence, and establish a ...

and, in collaboration with Romain-Vincent Jeuffroy, one for the occasion of Napoleon's coronation as Emperor. His later career is largely marked by a series of awards and appointments. In 1809, he obtained one of the , established by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

and awarded by the

Institut de France The ; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the . It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute manages approximately ...

. In 1819, he was elected to the

Académie des Beaux-Arts The (; ) is a French learned society based in Paris. It is one of the five academies of the . The current president of the academy (2021) is Alain-Charles Perrot, a French architect. Background The academy was created in 1816 in Paris as a me ...

, where he took Seat #3 for engraving. His students there included

Eugène André Oudiné Eugène André Oudiné (1 January 1810, Paris – 12 April 1887, Paris) was a French sculptor and engraver of medals and coins, and devoted himself from the beginning to the medallist's branch of sculpture, although he also excelled in monumenta ...

, and his own grandson, . In 1826, he was named a Knight in the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

.Documentation
@ the

Base Léonore ''Base Léonore'', or the Léonore database, is a French database that lists the records of the members of the National Order of the Legion of Honor. The database lists the records of those inducted into the Legion of Honor The National Or ...

Six months before his death, he was made a corresponding member of the

National Institute for the Promotion of Science The National Institution for the Promotion of Science organization was established in Washington, D.C., in May 1840, and was heir to the mantle of the earlier ''Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences''. The National Institutio ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

References

External links

Biographical data and references
from the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques @ La France Savante {{DEFAULTSORT:Galle, Andre 1761 births 1844 deaths French engravers French medallists Recipients of the Legion of Honour Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Artists from Saint-Étienne

Biography

References

Further reading

External links