Thanks for the info Mr. Beach. To get a handle on the overall picture, I'd say that an understanding of France's world standing would be in order. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to World History in obtaining a well rounded education. But at the beginning of the 19th century to the mid-point, France experienced a very prosperous period. France had control of it's banking system and I think Mexico leaned heavily on France for funds which lead to France establishing a government, which lead to a coup; hence. Cinco de Mayo. French goods were sought after world wide and France was on par with Britian, or just behind in exporting goods. I think it was in 1884 that the Statue of Liberty was delivered to the U.S. of A. Central American seems to have been a big importer of French goods. Things from Paris were in vogue and Paris was the center of fashion. So much like the gunmakers having a shop in Vienna post 1867, why not have a retail shop or agent in Paris. France didn't totally embrace mechanization and was more concerned with quality than quantity. As France was on the down-slope, Belgium was embracing mechanization, as well as focused on production numbers, as well as really beginning to spool-up. In order for Auguste Francotte to get his name out there, especially if he was attempting to corner a piece of the American market, why not have a retail outlet in Paris as Americans were consuming a lot of French goods. But the Franco-Prussian War, which all but stopped the importation of goods into the U.S. A. like canned sardines for instance, revealed France's position in the world and that industrial might was the future. So by the 1880s a direct sourcing link was made to Belgium from the U.S. of A., which A&F & VL & D being such examples. All the above seems to pair well with the marks on the Auguste Francotte Paris examples in that they seem to be from the 1870 - 1877 period.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
