Chocolat Guérin-Boutron

Chocolat Guérin-Boutron is a French chocolate brand whose origins reach back to a chocolate factory founded in Paris by the Guérin family in 1775. The house grew into an industrial-scale manufacturer, operating a dedicated factory at 23–25 rue du Maroc in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, which employed around 280 workers by 1910, and running two retail shops in the city, at 29 boulevard Poissonnière and 28 rue Saint-Sulpice. It became best known for its vanilla chocolate and its Solubia chocolate, and it won a gold medal at the 1889 and 1900 Expositions Universelles, receiving awards at every such exhibition. Guérin-Boutron was a pioneer of advertising imagery, preceding Liebig, Debauve et Gallais and Suchard in issuing chromolithographic cards. These images, depicting historical and popular fictional characters, were inserted into chocolate tablets in small series to build customer loyalty. Two albums titled Livre d'or des célébrités contemporaines were published from 1903, each containing around 500 images. The company's later history was difficult. In 1923 it sought outside investors, offering 12,000 shares, and became a société anonyme with capital of 6 million francs. Maurice Guérin, president of the board and vice-president of the French chocolatiers' syndicate, died in 1924. In 1929 René Guérin-Boutron, son of the manufacturer, died in a climbing accident in Savoie. An extraordinary general meeting was convened on 19 February 1935, and after the company's bankruptcy, chocolate-making equipment was sold on 22 April 1942 at 23 rue du Maroc. The brand was dormant for decades. In 2016 the brand was revived in Brussels, 74 years after production ceased. Johann Domaz, also known as Johann Ignaz Domas-Conzemius, acquired the trademark from a financial group that had been mandated some months earlier by Groupe Hédiard, and worked to relaunch it. In 2017 he and his associate Raphaël de Macar restarted production in Belgium. The official website presents the house as a 'Maison de chocolat d'exception' founded in Paris before 1770, and as of the site's current state it is preparing a new digital showcase while inviting visitors to join its newsletter, the Gazette du Prince Chocolatier, and follow its social media channels.

The Guérin family founded a chocolate factory in Paris in 1775. The business developed and industrialised, with a dedicated factory for chocolate manufacture located at 23 and 25 rue du Maroc in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. By 1910 the factory employed around 280 workers. The company also operated two retail shops in Paris, at 29 boulevard Poissonnière in the 9th arrondissement and at 28 rue Saint-Sulpice in the 6th. Guérin-Boutron preceded Poulain in the practice of attaching chromolithographic images representing historical or popular fictional characters to its chocolate tablets. To encourage customer loyalty, these images were published in small series. The house became especially known for its vanilla chocolate and its Solubia chocolate. It received a gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle and at the 1900 Exposition Universelle, and was awarded a medal at every universal exhibition. Before Liebig, Debauve et Gallais or Suchard, Guérin-Boutron was the first company to engage in advertising imagery. These chromolithographs were not intended to be presented in albums. Two albums titled Livre d'or des célébrités contemporaines were published from 1903, each containing around 500 images. In 1923 the company called on outside investors, putting 12,000 shares up for sale. It became a société anonyme with capital of 6 million francs, with the purpose of manufacturing and selling chocolate. In 1924 Maurice Guérin died; he had been president of the board of directors of the Société Guérin-Boutron and vice-president of the chambre syndicale des chocolatiers de France, forerunner of the Confédération des Chocolatiers et Confiseurs de France. In mid-September 1929, while on holiday at Lanslebourg in Savoie, René Guérin-Boutron (born 1910), son of the Parisian manufacturer, set out to climb the pointe de la Roaec (3,600 metres) and fell from a great height in Haute-Maurienne, fracturing his skull. An extraordinary general meeting of the company was convened on 19 February 1935. After the bankruptcy of Guérin-Boutron, chocolate-making equipment was sold on 22 April 1942 at 23 rue du Maroc. The Guérin and Boutron families came from a line of merchant-grocers and distiller-wine merchants, sometimes united in their shared history. From the middle of the 19th century, the directors called themselves Guérin-Boutron even though civil records knew only the name Guérin. The Boutron line also includes the pharmacist-chemist Antoine François Boutron Charlard. Production was revived in Brussels in 2016, 74 years after it had stopped. Johann Domaz, known as Johann Ignaz Domas-Conzemius, bought the brand from a financial group mandated a few months earlier by Groupe Hédiard, and worked to relaunch it. In 2017, Johann Domas-Conzemius and his associate Raphaël de Macar restarted production in Belgium. The official website now describes the house as a 'Maison de chocolat d'exception' founded in Paris before 1770, and states that it is currently preparing a new digital showcase, inviting visitors to subscribe to its newsletter, the Gazette du Prince Chocolatier, and to follow its social media accounts.

• 2017

  Johann Domas-Conzemius and Raphaël de Macar restart production in Belgium.

• 2016

  Brand revived in Brussels; Johann Domaz acquires the trademark from a financial group mandated by Groupe Hédiard.

• 1942

  After bankruptcy, chocolate-making equipment sold on 22 April at 23 rue du Maroc.

• 1935

  Extraordinary general meeting of the company convened on 19 February.

• 1929

  René Guérin-Boutron dies in a climbing accident in Savoie.

• 1924

  Maurice Guérin, president of the board, dies.

• 1923

  Company seeks outside investors, offering 12,000 shares; becomes a société anonyme with 6 million francs capital.

• 1910

  Factory at 23–25 rue du Maroc employs around 280 workers.

• 1903

  Publication of the first Livre d'or des célébrités contemporaines albums, each with around 500 images.

• 1889

  Awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle.

• 1775

  Guérin family founds a chocolate factory in Paris.

Historic French luxury chocolate house, pioneer of advertising collectibles, revived as an exceptional chocolate maison.

• Chocolat à la vanille

  One of the house's best-known products.

• Chocolat Solubia

  A signature chocolate of the Maison Guérin-Boutron.

• Chocolate tablets with chromolithographic cards

  Tablets sold with collectible images of historical and popular characters, published in small series.

• Chromolithographic trade cards
• Livre d'or des célébrités contemporaines

1. 1Chocolat Guérin-Boutron official websiteguerin-boutron.com
2. 2Chocolat Guérin-Boutron — Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Chocolat Guérin-Boutron — Wikidatawikidata.org