Nöel-Jean Lerebours (*1761;†1840) Place du Pont Neuf 13, Paris.

The first of the great opticians who helped make the French optical industry competitive with the English between the late 18th century and the 1820s. Lerebours began his career as a maker of mathematical instruments, but increasingly specialised in the production of large lenses. His achromatic lenses were said to be superior to those made in England. Appointed engineer to the king in 1789, he became Opticien de l'Observatoire Royale et de la Marine et du Bureau des Longitudes in 1800. Lerebours' catalogue of 1809 shows that, in addition to telescopes and optical instruments, a wide range of scientific instruments were manufactured, including barometers, octants, sextants, balances, boussoles, graphometers, etc. He traded at Quai de l'Horloge 69 (1789-93), and from 1804 onwards at Place du Pont-Neuf 13. Upon his death in 1840, he was succeeded by his adopted son and apprentice, Noël-Marie-Paymal Lerebours, who had been working in the firm since 1830.

Pictured above is a complete and well preserved French set of drawing instruments in a mahogany case. The proportional compass, folding square, ruler and protractor are all signed Lerebours à Paris. The brass inlay on the case has the name Julien Coolens engraved on it, possibly a reference to the original owner. The case measures 205x116x45mm.

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[1] Lerebours Noel-Jean; Nouvelle Biographie Générale 1859, p. 865-866. [Google Books]

[2] Lerebours Noel-Jean; Notice d'instrumens de physique, d'optique, et de mathématique. Deuxième édition 1809. [Academica Wypozyczalnia]

[3] Noel-Jean Lerebours; Édouard Foucaud; Les Artisans Illustres, Paris 1841, p.540-545. [Gallica]

[4] Hoffbauer, Fedor; Le Pont-Neuf et l'Ile de la Cité, vus du Louvre. [Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris]