1865 French Candle & Soap Manufacturer Invoice – Blanpied, Richard & Cie, Lyon

Original French ephemera: a commercial invoice dated 8 February 1865, issued by A. Blanpied, J. Richard & Cie, a Lyon manufacturer of candles, soaps, soda and chemical products.

The document features an exceptionally elaborate engraved letterhead headed “Fabrique de Lyon – Manufacture de Bougies – Savons, Soude, Produits Chimiques.”

The upper section is richly decorated with ornamental scrollwork, a central coat of arms and medal imagery referring to the Universal Exhibition of London 1851 and the Universal Exhibition of Paris 1855. The printed heading also gives the company’s addresses at 1 Rue Constantine and 66 Route du Bourbonnais, Lyon.

The invoice is addressed to Monsieur Marius Camp in Limoux, Aude, and records an order of candles in several quantities and grades. The total amount shown is 132.15 francs, with commercial payment terms indicated on the document.

The reverse is particularly interesting: the sheet was folded for postal transmission and retains handwritten accounting and address annotations, several postal cancellations and an original blue French 20-centime “Empire Franc” postage stamp depicting Napoleon III.

This combination of commercial invoice and postal history makes the piece especially evocative of everyday business practices during the French Second Empire.

A highly decorative example of nineteenth-century French commercial ephemera combining candle manufacture, industrial history, engraved advertising design and postal history.

Details

• Origin: France
• Date: 8 February 1865
• Business: A. Blanpied, J. Richard & Cie
• Location: Lyon, France
• Recipient: Monsieur Marius Camp, Limoux, Aude
• Type: Commercial invoice / folded postal document
• Industry: Candle manufacturing, soap and chemical products
• Language: French
• Decorative engraved letterhead
• “Fabrique de Lyon” heading
• Manufacture de Bougies – Savons, Soude, Produits Chimiques
• London 1851 and Paris 1855 exhibition imagery
• Handwritten commercial entries
• Invoice total: 132.15 francs
• Handwritten annotations on reverse
• Original blue 20-centime Empire Français postage stamp
• Napoleon III portrait
• Postal cancellations and markings
• Original antique document, not a reproduction or digital download

Dimensions

• Approx. 27.5 × 21 cm
  (height × width)

Condition

Authentic nineteenth-century paper with age-related toning, scattered staining, surface marks and handling wear consistent with its age and postal use.

The sheet shows visible original fold lines from having been folded for mailing, together with light creasing and minor edge and corner wear. Small marks, areas of soiling and traces associated with postal handling are visible on the reverse.

The thin period paper allows some handwriting and printed elements from the opposite side to show through naturally.

The engraved letterhead, handwritten invoice entries, postal markings and original 20-centime stamp remain clearly visible overall.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

You will receive the exact original double-sided document shown in the photographs.

Frame and decorative accessories are not included.