History & Presentation
The Canson & Montgolfier paper museum
In the house where the Montgolfier brothers were born, in the heart of the Royal Manufactory, the Canson and Montgolfier Papeteries museum brings paper-making back to life from the 17th century to the present day. It's the magic of the paper being made in the old vat, the sound of the machines coming to life...
The museum is the only one in the world to display a full-size paper machine in motion.
The museum is also about the history of paper, the marvellous calculations of the Montgolfiers, the inventions of the Cansons, the paternalistic organisation and... attentive guides to meet visitors' expectations.
From handmade paper to machines
From rag to paper.... The heavy wooden mallets fall back into the pile with a deafening din. The guide grabs the form, plunges it into the vat and, as if by magic, the sheet is born before the eyes of the visitors. Further on, it's the printing workshop...
Then the paper machine comes to life; we enter the industrial adventure before the cutting machine cuts the sheets...
Around the bend in the vaulted workshop, the company fireman keeps watch beside his antique hand pump, while the chaplain awaits his flock in the 17th century chapel...
A family saga
Montgolfier, Canson, Seguin... for more than three centuries, these families were involved in the development of the paper industry in the north of the Ardèche.
There were many generations, so the involvement of the members was total and complementary. This undoubtedly explains the many inventions pioneered by the Vidalon papermakers, which helped this activity evolve from a craft into an industry.
There was no shortage of new manufacturing processes, cutting-edge papers and the machines that made the reputation of the Annoné paper mill.
Vidalon, the paper-making town
From the mill of the 17th century to the paper mill of 2000, the banks of the Deûme have seen thousands of paper makers pass through their hands.
Through the documents on display, visitors can explore the workshops dominated by chimneys, discover the barracks where the workers were housed, and enter this paternalistic world with its chapel, supply shops and school....
Customs and daily life in the paper trade
If the king knew the life we lead, he would become a papermaker... Dream or reality.
While the working days are long, the papermakers require the master to serve them quality meals with specific dishes for the holidays. Fines were imposed for non-compliance...
From 1785 onwards, the regulations instituted by the master overturned these customs. Everything was laid down, from personal cleanliness to the care taken with tools.
This organisation was not without its faults, and some strikes were very harsh, such as the one in 1911 that resulted in dozens of redundancies.
The Johannots, talented paper makers
Competing with the Montgolfiers, the Johannots stood out for the quality of their production.
Their papers were appreciated by specialists such as Didot, who used them to print works for the education of the Dauphin. Their efforts were rewarded with numerous awards.
They also produced stencil-painted playing cards.
The museum also features works by Charles, Tony and Alfred Johannot, famous 19th-century engravers.
Paper mills in the Deûme valley
While Barthélemy de Canson took over the management of the Vidalon factory in the early 19th century, his cousin Jean-Baptiste de Montgolfier set up a paper mill upstream at St Marcel-lès-Annonay.
In the years that followed, to meet the growing demand for paper, they set up other factories in Boulieu-lès-Annonay, Annonay...
The first UFO
14 December 1782, in the courtyard of their paper mill, the Montgolfiers launched their first balloon.
Based on an idea by Joseph, the brothers designed the first aerostat and wrote down their research and experiments.
In various areas of the museum, documents, paintings, objects, films and photographs tell the story of the early days of the conquest of air and space.
The mysteries of the laboratory
Developing papers and testing them to ensure they meet user expectations is a major concern for manufacturers. So the laboratory was an essential link in the production chain.
From the sabre used to measure the moisture content of stored papers to the apparatus used to test the resistance of condensing papers to cracking and the one used to check the degree of whiteness, visitors can take a journey through time and its techniques.