Mattey
Region: France Period: 1890–1930 Occupation: Instrument maker Tag: Mattey
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, FranceAlbert Georges Mattey
* 20 December 1873, Paris, France † 15 July 1940, Bourges, FranceAlice Louise Mattey
* 28 July 1907, Paris, France † 20 February 2006, Amiens, FrancePierre Émile Mattey
* 4 November 1908, Paris, France † 26 December 1963, Paris, France
Company addresses:
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:
- Ruiter, André. Mattey (2025). via: stereoscopyhistory.net
