Conté à Paris: The 230-Year Legacy of a Revolutionary Pencil
Nicolas-Jacques Conté (1755–1805), an inventive painter and polymath, revolutionized the pencil manufacturing sector in France. Rising from humble beginnings, he gained recognition during the French Revolution and received accolades from Bonaparte. Commissioned by the Committee of Public Safety, he developed a national writing tool utilizing Alpine graphite and kaolin, which was patented on January 22, 1795. The Commission of Public Works requested an initial order of 300,000 pencils, with production commencing in 1796. By the 1798 Industrial Exposition, Conté pencils, priced at half that of their English counterparts, gained significant popularity. Currently, Conté à Paris produces 34 pencil varieties, with the 'Pierre noire' being the top seller at 900,000 units annually, 30% of which are sold in the US. The brand is under the Colart group.
Key facts
- Nicolas-Jacques Conté (1755–1805) invented the modern pencil in 1795.
- Patent granted January 22, 1795, for 'artificial pencils'.
- Commission of Public Works ordered 300,000 pencils immediately.
- Production began in 1796 at rue de l'Université factory.
- Pencils were half the price of English pencils and a hit at 1798 Industrial Exposition.
- Conté à Paris 'Pierre noire' pencil represents 29% of annual production.
- 900,000 'Pierre noire' pencils sold annually worldwide, 30% in the US.
- Manufactured in Lay, Loire, France.
- Conté à Paris is part of Colart group, owned by Swedish Lindén family.
- Other Colart brands: Lefranc Bourgeois, Charbonnel, Winsor & Newton, Liquitex.
Entities
Artists
- Nicolas-Jacques Conté
Institutions
- Conté à Paris
- Colart
- Lefranc Bourgeois
- Charbonnel
- Winsor & Newton
- Liquitex
- Beaux Arts Magazine
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Lay
- Loire
- United States
- Sweden
- Le Mans
- Meudon
- Alexandria
- England