Since 1818, the Baronnie-Broussard de Mussidan house had been producing candles and candles highly esteemed by the clergy of the department. The workers of this workshop in turn created new factories in the middle of the century to give birth to a candle and candle industry which made the fame of the town.
Beeswax was refined and bleached in the sun to get rid of its smell and yellow colour. Beeswax was then used to make candles and tapers or was mixed with turpentine for various polish products for floors or shoes.
The Mocquet-Junière factory, the largest in the city in 1900, sold its production in drugstores, pharmacies in 30 departments and department stores in Paris and London. Mussidan’s last candle factory closed its doors in the 1980s.
Illustrations :
– Ciergerie G letterhead paper. Mercier, successor of Baronnie-Broussard, to Mussidan, 1930s (Escarment Collection).
– Postcard from the Junière candle, wax and candle factory in Mussidan around 1910 (©Musée André Voulgre).
– Photograph of the workshop of the Mocquet-Junière candle factory around 1920 (Collection Villotte).
– Photograph of the staff of the Mocquet-Junière ciergerie around 1920 (Collection Villotte).
– Advertising cardboard of the Mocquet-Junière candle, candle and wax factory, 1910s (2014.9.517) (©Musée André Voulgre)
– Advertising cardboard of Etablissements Mocquet-Junière, 1930s (Villotte Collection)
– Letterhead from the Novillard and Deffreix factory in Mussidan, 1930s (Escarment Collection).
– 2 candle box lids from the Novillard factory in Mussidan (Escarment Collection)
– Photograph of the Cierge Durieux-Servet factory in Mussidan (©Musée André Voulgre)