Barometers Realm

The company Radiguet & Fils traces its origins to 1830, when optician Marie-Honoré Radiguet (1791–1867) acquired a Parisian workshop from his mentor Chevalier. Chevalier had opened his optics atelier back in 1805 on the site of former Benedictine gardens in the theatre district of Paris, and after 25 years, he handed the business over to the young Radiguet. By then, Marie-Honoré Radiguet was already well known among opticians, particularly for his manufacture of precision parallel glass plates. In 1830, he founded his own enterprise dedicated to the production and sale of optical instruments in Paris.

After the founder’s death in 1867, the business was continued by his son Honoré-Antoine Radiguet (1824–1887). Honoré-Antoine expanded the product range: in addition to traditional optical instruments, the family began manufacturing and selling meteorological devices such as barometers, thermometers, and others. Under his leadership, the Radiguet workshop gained international recognition, with medals awarded at the World Exhibitions of 1855, 1867, and 1878.

The third generation was headed by Arthur-Honoré Radiguet (1850–1905), the eldest son of Honoré-Antoine. Officially, father and son registered the partnership Radiguet & Fils on January 9, 1880, although Arthur had been working with his father even before that. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Arthur became deeply involved in the business and aimed to expand its scope.

The company’s primary workshop and retail address was located at 15 Boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire in Paris. This address appears on many of their instruments. Over time, the firm expanded into the neighboring building at number 13 on the same boulevard.

By the late 19th century, alongside an expanded product line, the company also acquired manufacturing space outside central Paris. After merging with the firm Molteni, Radiguet’s workshops were relocated in 1900 to Molteni’s former premises at 44 rue du Château-d’Eau, Paris.

Throughout the 19th century, Radiguet & Fils produced an exceptionally broad range of scientific and measuring instruments, spanning from classical optics to electrical devices. Their main product categories included:

• Optical Instruments: The family business began with traditional optical devices. The firm produced microscopes, spyglasses, telescopes, binoculars (jumelles), optical lenses, and prisms. Interestingly, Marie-Honoré Radiguet originally gained fame for his highly precise optical glass and lenses, setting the quality standard for all future production.
• Physics Cabinet Instruments: Under Honoré-Antoine, the product line expanded to include devices for demonstrating physical phenomena. Radiguet & Fils produced sets for educational institutions and science enthusiasts: air pumps, electrical machines, measuring instruments, and more. The catalogue of the 1900 World Exhibition (already after the merger with Massiot) listed the company as a “constructor of scientific instruments”, offering dynamos, magneto-machines, educational telephones, etc. But even before 1900, Radiguet was active in these areas. An 1884 issue of La Nature reported successful testing of a “small electrical lighting device by Radiguet” – a portable battery-powered demonstration lamp. The company also made teaching models of telegraphs, telephones, and other communication devices – including a demonstration school telephone and a lecture hall loudspeaker (both listed in the 1900 catalogue).
• Meteorological and Navigational Instruments: Radiguet was renowned for its barometers and thermometers. They manufactured both functional scientific instruments (desktop and wall-mounted aneroid barometers, Fortin barometers, etc.) and decorative barometers in ornate cases. They also offered compasses, hydrometers, and possibly marine sextants and other research instruments.
• “Petite Mécanique” and Educational Models: One of Arthur Radiguet’s key innovations was the development of mechanical sets for hobbyists. Around the 1870s, he established workshops where amateurs could build simple mechanisms themselves. The firm released a series of cast iron parts (wheels, cylinders, valves, etc.) allowing the assembly of miniature working steam engines and locomotives. These petite mécanique kits were a public success, exceeding even Arthur’s expectations. Young engineers and enthusiasts could build working models of vertical and horizontal steam engines of various types. Their popularity inspired Radiguet to continue seeking ways to “bring science closer to the people.”
• Electrical and Medical Apparatus: Starting in the 1880s, Radiguet became one of the pioneers in promoting electricity. Arthur Radiguet focused on applied electrochemistry and developed his own type of galvanic cell. In the 1880s, he introduced the “Radiguet Constant Battery” (pile Radiguet), notable for using zinc scrap as consumable material. By improving existing galvanic designs, Arthur patented a battery with more stable output, suitable for both laboratory and domestic lighting. Demand for the “Radiguet element” grew so rapidly that the firm published a dedicated brochure with usage instructions for hobbyists and industrial users, promoting the battery for home lighting and electroplating. Radiguet also manufactured induction coils (including Ruhmkorff coils), electrostatic machines (reportedly including a large Bonetti machine), and devices for demonstrating electrical laws. The firm also specialized in electro-medical devices – portable apparatuses for electrotherapy. Late 19th-century catalogues featured small devices for at-home patient electrification, intended for use by the patient under a physician’s advice. Radiguet was among the first to recognize the medical potential of electricity and even established a dedicated electrotherapy laboratory and library at their premises (similar to firms like Gaiffe) to develop new “electrical machines” for treatment.
• Photography and Projection Technology: Responding to contemporary interests, by the end of the 19th century the firm had entered the field of photographic and projection devices. Initially this meant selling photographic materials and cameras, but their main focus became projection lanterns (magic lanterns) and demonstration slides. After the discovery of X-rays in 1895, Arthur Radiguet actively began producing powerful induction coils for X-ray apparatus. Very soon, Maison Radiguet became a leader in radiographic equipment in France. By 1896–1897, Arthur-Honoré Radiguet was already listed as “France’s leading producer and distributor of X-ray equipment.” At public lectures, he demonstrated the marvels of the new rays by scanning the hands of volunteer spectators. Radiguet himself produced hundreds of X-ray images on glass and photographic paper, assembling a collection entitled Musée Radiographique Radiguet. These images (hands, feet, small animals, objects) were distributed as visual aids – printed or as glass slides for lecture projection. Thus, by the late 19th century, Radiguet stood at the forefront not only of scientific photography but of early cinema as well: they manufactured lanterns for slide projection, and after merging with Massiot, produced the first film projectors.

Over the decades, Radiguet & Fils introduced a number of technical innovations and patented several of their designs:

• The Radiguet Element (Galvanic Battery): One of Arthur Radiguet’s most notable inventions was the improved constant battery, introduced around 1881–1882. It stood out by using zinc shavings (scrap) as anode material, reducing production costs. The design also delivered more stable electrical energy. The label “Opticien breveté” (patented optician), seen on products and signage, suggests that Radiguet patented his battery or other devices. Literature of the time describes the battery as a two-electrolyte system (separate acid and alkali vessels) with a lifting mechanism for the electrodes. This design was patented and marked “Breveté S.G.D.G.” (patented without state guarantee). Thanks to this battery, Radiguet became one of the pioneers of domestic electric lighting: the firm published brochures titled “Electric lighting for the home with the Radiguet battery” and offered kits for private use.
• Induction and X-ray Equipment: After the discovery of X-rays (late 1895), Arthur Radiguet was one of the first in France to build powerful induction coils for powering X-ray tubes. By 1896, his coils were already used in public radiology demonstrations. He not only produced the devices but also conducted experiments himself, photographing objects under X-rays. As a result of this work, he suffered severe radiation damage: after several years of illness, he died in 1905 from cancer caused by radiation exposure, aged only 55. His tragic death served as a warning to contemporaries, but his contribution to early radiology was immense – Radiguet’s firm laid the foundations for the French X-ray equipment industry.
• Projection and Cinema Devices: In the 1890s, Radiguet introduced improvements to magic lanterns – light sources (e.g., arc lamps), slide-changing mechanisms, and so on. After 1900, following the merger with Georges Massiot, the firm began producing their own film projectors. In particular, they used patents by inventor A. F. Parnaland, manufacturing reliable devices for film screenings. These projectors appeared as early as 1903–1904 and brought the company recognition in the field of cinematography.
• Other Patents: The name Radiguet appears in late 19th-century patent records related to communication and measurement devices. The firm reportedly developed telephone devices for schools (possibly with patents for bell amplifiers or training telephones). In the field of electrotherapy, they may have patented portable electrostimulators, though specific patent numbers are hard to confirm. Nevertheless, the “Breveté” mark on instruments indicated protection by patent or certificate of authorship – a designation proudly applied to their electro-medical devices.

Like many firms of the era, Radiguet & Fils actively promoted their products through catalogues, advertisements, and exhibition participation. By the 1860s–1870s, they already featured in trade directories. They often appeared as “Radiguet & Fils – Opticien breveté S.G.D.G.” (patented optician), with the note “Maison fondée en 1830” (though sometimes mistakenly given as 1860), along with listed specialties. One directory described the company as a “factory of binoculars and physical instruments,” emphasizing their broad offerings.

Radiguet published commercial catalogues of their products. Surviving examples include a catalogue of scientific slides and projection equipment from the early 20th century (already under Radiguet & Massiot), as well as references to catalogues of physics instruments. In the 1890s, they likely distributed illustrated brochures featuring steam models and electrical devices. Scientific magazines such as La Nature regularly published reviews of Radiguet’s new products.

In addition to official exhibition catalogues, Radiguet’s instruments were often mentioned in scientific and popular journals and handbooks of the time. Annuals like L’Année Scientifique et Industrielle and journals such as La Nature or Le Génie Civil mentioned new releases by Parisian manufacturers – with Radiguet appearing alongside well-known firms like Ducretet, Gaiffe, Deyrolle, and others. Reviews in the 1880s noted that Maison Radiguet had become a major center for the popularization of science in France, thanks to its public demonstrations and technical clubs for enthusiasts.

Trade directories (Didot-Bottin, etc.) listed Radiguet among the leading opticians and scientific instrument makers in Paris. The address was typically given as Boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire, with specialties in parentheses: “optics, physics instruments, precision measurement tools.” After 1890, entries expanded to include “electrical devices, medical electricity, photographic supplies.” For example, a 1895 directory might read: “Radiguet & Fils (A. Radiguet), 15 Bd des Filles-du-Calvaire – optician, manufacturer of physics and electrical apparatus, gold medal 1878” (approximate wording). These records show continuity: the firm name remained even as its leadership evolved.

Newspapers occasionally reported on Radiguet’s scientific demonstrations. Parisian press in the late 19th century described public lectures with X-ray sessions where equipment was provided by Radiguet. There may have also been press coverage of his “Radiographic Museum” – a collection of X-ray images illustrating scientific marvels. Moreover, obituaries published in 1905 remarked on Arthur Radiguet’s untimely death and underscored the risks of working with X-rays.

By the end of the 19th century, the company stood at a turning point. Gaston Massiot (1875–1962), Arthur Radiguet’s son-in-law, worked with him on projection devices. In 1899, Arthur decided to involve him in company leadership and future development. At the same time, an opportunity arose to merge with another prestigious firm – Maison Molteni, a leading producer of projection lanterns since 1782.

On October 15, 1899, an agreement was signed for Radiguet to acquire the assets of Molteni. At the same time, a partnership was formalized between Arthur Radiguet and Gaston Massiot – the new company was named Radiguet & Massiot. The legal registration of the firm Radiguet & Massiot is dated October 6, 1889, though the brand only became widely used around 1900. Possibly, 1889 reflects the beginning of business cooperation or a family engagement, but the name gained prominence following the 1900 World Exhibition.

The merger aimed to focus on projection devices and slides – a domain in which Maison Radiguet already excelled by 1900. The unified company inherited Molteni’s vast slide collection and established lantern production, complementing it with Radiguet’s innovations in cinema and radiography. Maison Radiguet had finally fulfilled Arthur’s vision – becoming a full-cycle enterprise in optics, electrical engineering, projection, and medical devices. Sadly, Arthur-Honoré enjoyed the results for only a short time: in 1904/1905, he died from complications of radiation exposure before reaching the age of 55. After his death, Georges (Georges-Jules) Massiot continued the business as sole director of Radiguet & Massiot.

In 1910, the firm was renamed Massiot & Cie and relocated from Paris to Courbevoie, focusing on X-ray and medical equipment. Thus ended the Radiguet family’s era in the company’s history. Nevertheless, the legacy of Radiguet & Fils lives on: their instruments remain in museums and private collections, a testament to a brilliant chapter in 19th-century French scientific industry. Starting from a modest optics shop in 1830, the firm became a pillar of scientific instrumentation, contributing to the popularization of science, education, and the emergence of new technologies – electricity, radiology, cinema. As contemporaries once said: “Everyone knows the place that Maison Radiguet has held in the manufacture of radiological, high-frequency, and electrotherapeutic equipment” – and it all began on Boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire.