Mercier Frères

The firm was founded in 1832 by Claude Mercier père. Mercier had worked alongside his father from an early stage in his career, and in 1865 he was joined by his brother C. Mercier. By 1867 the business formally adopted the name Mercier Frères.

The workshop operated from the Mercier family residence, where much of the cabinetmaking and fine handwork was carried out. While most of the detailed craftsmanship was undertaken in-house, certain machine-produced elements such as veneers and mouldings were outsourced to specialist suppliers.

The firm typically employed between 18 and 20 craftsmen within the workshop, supported by approximately thirty to forty outworkers. These outworkers were skilled artisans who worked externally from the main premises, often producing specific components or decorative elements on a contract basis before delivering them to the workshop for final assembly and finishing.

Mercier Frères produced both innovative furniture designs and high-quality interpretations of celebrated earlier models, reflecting the strong interest in historic revival styles during the 19th century. By the late 19th century, the firm had become one of the largest and most respected Parisian makers working within this elite class of luxury furniture.

The business participated regularly in international exhibitions from 1844 onwards, showing work in Paris, London and Brussels, and notably winning bronze medals at two of these exhibitions. This was a considerable achievement given the intense competition from other leading Parisian cabinetmakers of the period, including François Linke, Henry Dasson, Emmanuel Zwiener, Paul Sormani and Krieger.

The firm continued trading until 1986, and for many years a large cut-out metal sign bearing the name “Mercier Frères” remained displayed outside the workshop entrance.