Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

In 1796, when Jean-Charles Pellerin, master cartier, founded an artisanal printing firm specializing in wood engravings (xylography). The local context is favourable: the presence of artisan cartiers, dominotiers, forest resources for paper, and a family tradition. The first images, printed in the "Gutenberg" arm press, are then hand-coloured via stencils. This production, initially marginal, gradually develops into an emblematic industry.

Around 1850, the arrival of lithography revolutionized printing techniques, allowing more varied and colourful creations. Although Epinal's images represented only 2% of the market for peddled images in 1860, the printing industry diversified its production: Napoleonic propaganda (1829-1845), riddles, paper dolls, or soldiers, reflecting the evolution of social expectations, especially towards a childish public influenced by the Russelist ideas. The rivalry with Pinot (1861-1888) stimulated its expansion.

In the 20th century, the Epinal Imagery reached a world renown with products such as puppets, paper theatres, or military subjects during the First World War. Despite a decline in the 1980s due to competition from new leisure activities, the company was saved in 1984 by local shareholders. It became an ecomuseum in 1989, abandoning its historical techniques in favour of modern methods. In 2014, a takeover by private investors and the SEM of Epinal re-launched the site, which obtained the label Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant.

The building, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1986, houses 23 old machines (including arm-presses of the 1830s-1900), 1,344 engraved wood classified since 1991, and nearly 7,000 lithographic stones. These collections, owned by the City of Epinal since 2026, bear witness to a unique industrial and artistic heritage. Although the workshops are currently closed for renovation, the catalogue remains accessible online, perpetuating the legacy of popular images.

The Pellerin printing industry illustrates the evolution of printing techniques, from crafts to industrialisation, while marking the French visual culture. Its history also reflects economic and social changes, from the industrial revolution to contemporary heritage preservation.

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