Maker record
Charles Rossignol (C.R.)
Charles Rossignol (C.R.) was a French toy maker founded in 1868 and based in Paris. Its tinplate products included mechanical figures, horse-drawn vehicles, aircraft, boats, trams, trains, beach and musical toys, and civilian, military and utility vehicles. The firm used folded-tab assembly in place of soldering, with machinery folding the tabs, and decorated toys using lithographic printing. Its range included small models of contemporary transport as well as automata and penny toys.
- Founded
- 1868
- Locations
- Unknown
- Founders
- Charles Rossignol
The story of Charles Rossignol (C.R.)
Charles Rossignol founded the C.R. toy manufactory in 1868. Based at 110 avenue de la République in Paris, it made tinplate toys including automata, horse-drawn vehicles, aircraft, boats, trams, trains, beach and musical toys, penny toys, and civilian, military and utility vehicles. Its small models reproduced contemporary forms of transport, including postal vehicles.
The manufactory used folded-tab assembly, or agrafage, in place of soldering. By 1888, machinery could fold the tabs, reducing manual work. The firm also acquired a patent for lithographic printing used to decorate its toys. Charles Roitel’s influence later joined Rossignol’s at the manufactory, and around 1930 its company name changed to Roitel, Rossignol & Cie. The Musée de La Poste records that the firm closed in 1962. The Musée du Jouet likewise reports the factory’s 1962 closure, while its C.R. entry gives the broader date range 1868–1975.
