Barometers Realm

The primary sources of information about this artisan are archival records (notably civil status documents) and the few surviving items bearing his name. It is likely that Ducenne was a modest provincial watchmaker and optician, which may explain the scarcity of information about his work. His biography has been reconstructed in part from indirect evidence and may not fully reflect historical accuracy.

Based on available documents, Jean Joseph Ducenne (J. J. Ducenne) was born around the 1830s in the French-speaking part of Belgium, probably in the province of Namur or Luxembourg. In 1866, he married Louise Mathilde Jacquemin in the city of Liège. Several children were born to the couple in Liège. Marriage and birth registers indicate that Ducenne was living and working in Liège—a major Belgian industrial center—in the late 1860s.

After 1871, J. J. Ducenne appears to have left Liège and most likely returned to his native region. In later records, he is listed as a “horloger-opticien de Resteigne (Belgique)”, or watchmaker and optician from the village of Resteigne in Belgium. Resteigne is a small settlement in the Ardennes, now part of the commune of Tellin in the province of Luxembourg. By 1891, the Ducenne family was well established in Resteigne, as evidenced by the marriage of his daughter Louise Mathilde that year, recorded in the local parish register. Ducenne himself likely resided and worked in Resteigne from the late 1870s and remained active there at least into the early 20th century. He was still alive in 1902, when his son Louis Théophile Joseph Ducenne married in the town of Tamines (province of Namur)—the marriage certificate dated May 18, 1902 lists Jean Joseph Ducenne as the groom’s father and husband of Louise Jacquemin. His trail disappears after that; he probably died in the early decades of the 20th century, although no precise date or place of death has been found.

Ducenne’s main period of professional independence is associated with the village of Resteigne. Despite its modest size, Ducenne’s workshop was a versatile enterprise for its time: he worked as both a watchmaker and an optician, serving the needs of surrounding towns and rural communities. Craftsmen of his profile, having gained experience in a larger city (Liège in his case), often set up businesses in smaller centers where there was little competition. Ducenne seems to have been the only watchmaker and optical instrument maker in the area. His workshop likely attracted customers from neighboring towns in southern Wallonia. It is reasonable to assume that Ducenne’s goods and services reached beyond Resteigne to other parts of the provinces of Namur and Luxembourg. Nevertheless, his workshop remained based in Resteigne—this is how he is labeled on extant objects and in documents from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

As a watchmaker (horloger), J. J. Ducenne produced and repaired various timepieces—ranging from pocket and wall clocks to possibly even tower mechanisms. His work is mentioned in professional literature: a collection from the Historical Museum of Liège includes “montres signées” (signed watches) attributed to Ducenne. In other words, pocket watches bearing his name have survived, confirming his involvement in horology. These timepieces were likely assembled from purchased movements and cases, and then signed by Ducenne as a local maker.

As an optician (opticien), Ducenne sold and possibly crafted optical instruments. His inventory probably included eyeglasses and pince-nez (fitting and selling glasses was considered part of an optician’s trade at the time), magnifying glasses, binoculars, spyglasses, and other commonly used devices of the period. Unfortunately, no surviving examples of optical devices bearing his name have been identified—optical frames and binoculars were rarely marked. However, surviving documents explicitly describe him as an “optician,” confirming his work in this field.

In addition, Ducenne was involved in the sale and maintenance of meteorological instruments. He offered barometers and other scientific devices under his own name, effectively acting as a local assembler and retailer. Besides barometers, his product range likely included thermometers, compasses, and other accessories popular with the public in the late 19th century.

There is no evidence that Ducenne’s children continued the family trade in horology or optics—at least, none of his sons are known to have remained in Resteigne as craftsmen. It is therefore likely that the workshop ceased operations after Ducenne retired or passed away. His tools and equipment may have been sold or passed on to other artisans. In small towns of the period, it was often difficult to maintain a business without a direct family successor. Thus, Ducenne’s name has survived primarily on the objects he once signed.

In conclusion, J. J. Ducenne stands as a representative figure of the multi-skilled artisan of the late 19th century, supplying his region with timepieces, optical instruments, and scientific devices. He left behind a modest but tangible legacy in the form of signed objects that bear witness to his craftsmanship.