Mattey

Region: France    Period: 1890–1930    Occupation: Instrument maker   Tag: Mattey
© Collection Ruiter

Mattey was a prominent French manufacturer of stereoscopes, responsible for an extensive product range. The company was founded by André Élie Victor Mattey and initially operated as an optician. In 1902, the business continued under the name Mattey père et fils together with his son Albert Georges. This phase coincided with the acquisition of the stereoscope manufacturer Legendre. Further expansion followed through successive acquisitions of the stereoscope manufacturers Laurent, Fouquet, and Pennard.

From 1912 onward, the company was managed solely by Albert Georges. The firm continued to expand, reaching its peak during the 1920s. Mattey employed several trademarks, which appear on various stereoscopes. In 1915, the company joined the collective trademark Unis France, which was widely applied to Mattey products during the 1920s and 1930s.

Albert Georges died during the Second World War while fleeing Paris with his family. After the war, the company was continued by his children, Alice and Pierre, under the name Société des Anciens Établissements A. Mattey. In 1956, the firm became a public company under the name Mattey SA. Over time, its focus gradually shifted from stereoscopes to wooden products. The company ceased operations in 1993.

Related items:
8 & 9  Fouquet  Laurent  Legendre, Louis  Marque P & F  Pennard  Star logo  Unis France

People:

André Elie Victor Mattey
* 30 November 1844, Paris, France    11 August 1919, Paris, France
Albert Georges Mattey
* 20 December 1873, Paris, France    15 July 1940, Bourges, France
Alice Louise Mattey
* 28 July 1907, Paris, France    20 February 2006, Amiens, France
Pierre Émile Mattey
* 4 November 1908, Paris, France    26 December 1963, Paris, France

Company addresses:

Mattey père et fils
8, Rue Pastourelle, Paris
19021906
119, Rue Saint-Maur, Paris
19021906
Amel-sur-l’Étang
19021912
208, Rue Saint-Maur, Paris
19061912
Stéréoscopes A. Mattey
208, Rue Saint-Maur, Paris
19121937
Amel-sur-l’Étang
19121940
15, Rue Clavel, Paris
19371940
Société des Anciens Établissements A. Mattey
15, Rue Clavel, Paris
19471956
Amel-sur-l’Étang
19471956
Mattey S.A.
15, Rue Clavel, Paris
19561993
Amel-sur-l’Étang
19561993

Timeline:

1872
Establishment of Mattey

1902
Establishment of Mattey père et fils. Acquisition of Legendre.

1904
Introduction of Le Stéréothèque

1908
Acquisitions of Laurent and Fouquet

1911
Acquisition of Pennard

1926
Introduction of Le Métascope

1927
Introduction of Le Stéréoscope Standard

c. 1947
Establishment of Société des Anciens Établissements A. Mattey

1956
Establishment of Mattey SA

1993
Dissolution of Mattey SA

Further reading:

Published: 28-02-2026    Last modified: 18-03-2026