Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Lorin workshops, installed in Chartres since 1863, are the oldest stained glass workshops still in operation in this city known for its medieval stained glass windows. Founded by Nicolas Lorin, they first established themselves on Rue Saint-Cheron before settling on the edge of the Eure at 46 rue de la Tannerie, a site registered for historical monuments in 1999. The workshop spanned several generations, with notable figures such as Charles Lorin (1866-1940) and François Lorin (1900-1972), who perpetuated the art of stained glass and contributed to major restorations, notably for the Cathedral of Chartres.

In 1878, at the Universal Exhibition, the workshop employed 53 people, illustrating its economic and artistic importance. After World War II, François Lorin maintained activity until 1972. The workshop was then taken over by Gérard Hermet and Mireille Juteau (1973-2017), then by Élodie Vally, François Ratkoff and Claire Babet (2017-2019). Since 2020, Élodie Vally manages the workshop alone, while working with the Mayor of Chartres to preserve the archives and historical premises, located in the former medieval district of the river trades.

The work of the Lorin workshops, from more than 6,000 construction sites over 160 years, extends to France (notably the Centre-Val de Loire, Île-de-France, or Nouvelle-Aquitaine) and abroad (Vietnam, Jerusalem, United States). Their heritage includes works classified or listed in the general inventory, as shown by data from the Palissy database. In 2021, an online collaborative inventory was launched to prepare an exhibition at the Collège Saint-André de Chartres, highlighting the local anchor and artistic heritage of these workshops.

The premises, little modified since their creation in 1869, retain some of their original equipment, such as tools of the late nineteenth century. Their position between the Eure and the city ditch, in an area preserved by the Saved Area, reinforces their heritage value. The workshop also played a key role in the restoration of stained glass windows for French cathedrals and historical monuments, under the leadership of Charles Lorin, member of the Chamber of Trade Union Artists decorators and winner of the Central Society of Architects.

Today, the Lorin workshops continue to create and restore stained glass windows, while working to safeguard their material and intangible heritage. Their history reflects the evolution of glassmaking techniques, as well as the adaptation of an art profession to contemporary challenges, between preservation of know-how and innovation. The collaboration with the town hall of Chartres, especially for the digitisation of archives, illustrates their commitment to the transmission of this unique heritage.

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