Musee De Lhomme Et De Lindust 5Musee De Lhomme Et De Lindust 5
©Musee De Lhomme Et De Lindust 5|Lesley Williamson

The Royal Crystal Works of Le Creusot

An industry now extinct
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Le Creusot was born of the arts of fire at the end of the 18th century. Iron, cast iron and steel made its reputation. But another activity also enjoyed its golden age until the 1830s: glass and crystal manufacturing.

A royal factory

The mining of Montcenis coal from 1769 onwards led to the creation of the Royal Foundry at Le Creusot in 1781. At the same time, the fashion for lead crystal, which had originated in England, spread to European courts and wealthy circles.

The Manufacture des Cristaux de la Reine, founded in Sèvres, near Paris, decided to set up in Le Creusot to take advantage of its coal resources. A large U-shaped building was erected on the heights overlooking the foundry to house workshops, warehouses, administration and workers’ quarters. Nearby, two conical brick halls housed the furnaces.

View of the Queen's crystal factory in Le Creusot, 1787Cristallerie Royale
©View of the Queen's crystal factory in Le Creusot, 1787|CUCM, document Écomusée, reproduction D. Busseuil
Plan of the Queen's Crystal Factory circa 1794, Le Creusot.
©Plan of the Queen's Crystal Factory circa 1794, Le Creusot.|Écomusée Creusot Montceau, D. Busseuil
The former crystal glassworks furnaces, now Château de la Verrerie, Le Creusot.
©The former crystal glassworks furnaces, now Château de la Verrerie, Le Creusot.|Xavier Spertini
    Luxury, detail and meticulous artistry

    The beauty of Le Creusot crystals

    Restoration clock, circa 1820, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.Crystal Pendulum 01
    ©Restoration clock, circa 1820, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.|CUCM, document écomusée, reproduction D. Busseuil
    Crystal and gilt bronze perfume box, circa 1810, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.Cristal set
    ©Crystal and gilt bronze perfume box, circa 1810, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.|CUCM, document écomusée, reproduction D. Busseuil.
    Crystal and gilt bronze clock, circa 1830, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.
    ©Crystal and gilt bronze clock, circa 1830, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.|CUCM, document écomusée, reproduction D. Busseuil
    Crystal and gilt bronze vase, circa 1810, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.Cristal vase
    ©Crystal and gilt bronze vase, circa 1810, Le Creusot, Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie.|CUCM, document écomusée, reproduction D. Busseuil
      Opalines at the Musée de l'Homme et de l'Industrie, Le Creusot.Ecomuseefranck Juillot 7124
      ©Opalines at the Musée de l'Homme et de l'Industrie, Le Creusot.|Franck Juillot

        Apogee and decline

        The new factory quickly took off and innovated. It produced ordinary glass and, above all, luxury crystal products. The company specialized in opalines (or opal crystal), opaque crystal objects tinted in the mass, and inclusions, small objects with an inlaid ceramic decorative motif. At the time, customers lived in France, Europe and even Russia and America.

        In the early 1830s, the Le Creusot crystal works ran into difficulties and was eventually sold by its owners. In 1832, it was bought by Baccarat and Saint-Louis, who decided to repatriate all production to eastern France. The glass and crystal industry in Creusot then came to an end.

        For a time, the buildings were used to house miners and foundry workers, until the Schneider brothers took over ownership of the forges in 1837.

        Today

        A castle and a museum

        Now known as the Château de la Verrerie, the buildings of the former crystal works are now home to the Musée de l’Homme et de l’ Industrie, part of whose permanent exhibition recounts the history of crystal manufacture in Le Creusot.

        As for the old furnaces, they have been transformed. One of them serves as the setting for the Petit Théâtre, an unexpected and magical place to discover on a guided tour.

        Château de la Verrerie by night, Le Creusot.Le Creusot Parc Des Combes Train De La Peur Chateau De La Verrerie Nuit 1 Automne 2019oscara Photographer Creusot Montceau Tourism. 217 Min
        ©Château de la Verrerie by night, Le Creusot.|Oscara Photographe, Creusot Montceau Tourisme

          Cristallerie Royale in three key dates

          1787

          The royal crystal works are established at Le Creusot. At the time, the fashion for lead crystal was arriving straight from England and seducing French aristocratic circles.

          1830

          The Cristallerie experienced its first difficulties, and was eventually sold by its owners.

          1837

          Eugène Schneider decides to make the crystal works his home in Le Creusot. He gave the building a second life, transforming it from a crystal glassworks into a prestigious residence.

          Not to be missed

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