Ferdinand Barbedienne

In 1838 he went into partnership with Achille Collas (1795-1859), who had just invented a machine to create miniature bronze replicas of statues.

Together they started a business selling miniatures of antique statues from museums all over Europe, thus democratising art and making it more accessible to households.

[2] From 1843 they extended their scope by reproducing the work of living artists and also diversified by making enamelled household objects.

With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870 the firm briefly had to switch to cannon founding owing to the shortage of metals but resumed business afterwards.

Following Barbedienne's death in 1892, he was buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery and the firm was carried on by his nephew Gustave Leblanc until 1952.