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Lot Essay
The eminent French foundry of Val d'Osne was established in the town of the same name by J. P. V. André in 1835. Somewhat of an entrepreneur, André made an early name for himself by inventing a cheap system of moulding drainage and water pipes, which he supplied in large quantities to the city of Paris.
A frequent participant at the international exhibitions of the second half of the nineteenth century, in particular receiving critical acclaim for a large fountain shown in London in 1851, the Val d'Osne foundry's output was not only prolific but hugely diverse. Taken over by Barbezat & Cie in 1867, and allying with the fondeur Ducel towards 1870, the company was eventually renamed Société Anonyme des Hauts-Fourneaux & Fonderies du Val-D'Osne, Anciennes maison J. P. V. André et J. J. Ducel et Fils.
A frequent participant at the international exhibitions of the second half of the nineteenth century, in particular receiving critical acclaim for a large fountain shown in London in 1851, the Val d'Osne foundry's output was not only prolific but hugely diverse. Taken over by Barbezat & Cie in 1867, and allying with the fondeur Ducel towards 1870, the company was eventually renamed Société Anonyme des Hauts-Fourneaux & Fonderies du Val-D'Osne, Anciennes maison J. P. V. André et J. J. Ducel et Fils.