Phalibois

Jean-Marie Phalibois was born in Paris on October 29, 1835. Originally in the cardboard industry, he can first be found in the commercial directories in 1863.

In 1874, the society specialized in a special kind of mechanical table.

The society also produced many " mechanical scenes " on base, with fugures, monkeys, tightrope walkers and conjurors. 

January 28th 1893, Jean Phalibois and his wife Pauline yield their factory to their son, Edouard Henri. At the age of fifty-eight years, Jean Phalibois withdrew from businesses and lived on his income during the remainder of his life. He died seven years later.

Under the direction of Jean then of Henry, the Phalibois house adapted to the requirements of the day and forsook the animated scenes on in favor of automata, initially mechanical and then electrical. Publicity in the Commercial Directory in 1895 quoted "figures playing, speaking, singing, whistling, laughing, patented model".

One of the models mentioned above, the whistling one which represents a kid of Paris in short trousers, whistling a small air with unconcern, figured in the publicity of the house between 1900 and 1905.

From the first years of the 20th century, model advertisements and electrics were so much in demand that they comprised almost all of Henry Phalibois' production.

One found figures of all sizes and groups of automata with two or several subjects.

The son of Henry, Raymond, took the direction of the factory in 1925 and became a toys merchant, giving up the automata manufacture.

His remaining stock, from moulds to the last models produced by Henry, was sold to Gaston Decamps, the director of the Roullet and Decamps society. Thus ended, circa 1925, the Phalibois society.

Woman in Psyché
Phalibois, toward 1910
Electric adversing automaton
H.1 m
Decamps collection
Museum of Sauillac (France)
Book:"Âge d'or des automates"