Succession: the establishment of Melnotte and Dufossée as legitimate shoemaking references in Paris and London in the 19th century (1800-1870)

Sucessão: a consolidação de Melnotte e Dufossée como referências legítimas da produção calçadista em Paris e Londres durante o século XIX (1800-1870)

Abstract

This study describes the pioneering activities of French shoemakers Melnotte and Dufossée towards the expansion of their companies and the role of “sucession” to label a shoemaker as legitimate and successful. It is based on the analysis of shoes from both companies, newspaper ads and other primary sources to indicate the companies’ strategies and their development during the 19^th century. A short list of the companies’ customers is used as complementary source to indicate the economic strength of these businesses and their typical production. The conclusion is that different customers, a list of prizes won throughout the decades, the choice of the addresses and networking could increase a brand reputation such as Dufossée’s, but companies could also face conflicts of interest and suffer from fights between associates. These elements had an impact on the business’ future trajectory and contributed to the fact that these references are mostly unknown today.