Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

La Cuivrerie de Cerdon was founded in 1854 by Charles Eugène Main and his two sons, Joseph and Charles Eugène, in the premises of an old paper mill on the creek of Switzerland. Originally equipped with blades with polishing turrets and a balance press, the factory specialized in the manufacture of copper and mallet articles, produced by hand with hammers and mallets. In 1860, a second blade wheel was installed to power six hammers of martinet, marking the beginning of a progressive mechanization. The arrival of the friction balance and the stamping machine in 1875 accelerated production, allowing exports to Algeria, Morocco and the East. In 1871, the plant delivered 300 machines for silk spinning in Tomioka (Japan), now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Around 1900, the factory employed nearly 80 workers and adopted a steam engine to meet growing demand. During the First World War, despite the shortage of labour, exports continued. A new repulsive plant was built in 1924, equipped with a 150-ton American press drastically reducing production times. Coppermaking then became an industrial flagship, producing unique objects for the East and hotel furniture, before experiencing a decline from the 1930s, accentuated by the economic crisis and rural exodus.

After the Second World War, the factory turned to aluminum and saw its workforce fall to 20 workers in 1950, then to 3 in 1979, before its liquidation. Saved in 1980 by Maurice Goy and André Lathuilière, it was transformed into an industrial museum and released a limited production, including sports cups for Prestifrance. In 1987, the site attracted more than 200 school groups and 587 tourist buses, becoming a symbol of French industrial heritage. Despite a final closure in 2010, Copper was listed as a historical monument in 2013 and reopened in 2022 after the acquisition by the Ain Department.

The site maintains an exceptional set of 19th and 20th century machines and tools, including repulsive towers, martinets, and a Bliss press. The buildings, organized along the river, illustrate the technical evolution of the factory, from the initial blades to the steam machine. Three wheels with blades remain, one still functional, while the workshops house collections of copper objects, wooden templates and moulds to be pressed. The Copper industry thus bears witness to industrial innovation and its adaptation to economic challenges, before reinventing itself as a place of memory and tourism.

In 1998, the site served as a setting for the film Les Enfants du Marais by Jean Becker. With 38,523 visitors in 2009, it was one of the ten most frequented sites in the department of Ain. Today, Cerdon's Copper Factory combines heritage preservation and tourism enhancement, offering a journey in the history of metallurgy and craftsmanship.

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