La Société Industrielle d'Articles d'Éclairage (S.I.A.E.)
S.I.A.E. — La Société Industrielle d'Articles d'Éclairage — was one of the largest French manufacturers of burners, oil lamps and hurricane lanterns of the first half of the twentieth century. It was formed in Paris in 1900 out of nine existing lighting firms, and its lanterns are recognisable by the intertwined S and I on the wick knob and on the glass. The company disappeared into Etablissements Pigeon shortly after the Second World War.
The historical record of SIAE contains gaps; additional source material is always welcome.
Below an overview of the SIAE hurricane lanterns.
Registered Trademark
On 25 June 1900 the company registered its trademark: an intertwined S and I, resembling a dollar sign. This emblem appears on wick knobs and on the glass of many hurricane lanterns, and is the main reason the manufacturer is sometimes referred to simply as “SI”.
Companies Merged Into S.I.A.E.
Nine companies were absorbed into La Société Industrielle d'Articles d'Éclairage in 1900:
- Boisson, Neven & A. Lasnet
- Thibault Frères
- Marnat Frères
- P. & E. Ferrary
- Vve Boirre
- M. Dreyfus
- E. Rollin
- A. Lechevret
- Rageau, Dureuil & Cie
*Vve* is the abbreviation of *Veuve*, French for widow — a common way for a firm to be continued by the founder's widow.
The headquarters of SIAE were at 15 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, Paris. The company exhibited immediately after its formation and won a silver medal in 1900.
The 1902 Factory Fire
On 3 July 1902 a fire broke out in the SIAE factory, completely destroying the drawing shop, where sheet metal was pressed into shape, and the polishing shop. The company employed around 300 workers at the time.
Patents (1907–1929)
Between 1907 and 1929 SIAE filed multiple patents. Only one known patent relates specifically to hurricane lanterns: a 1912 patent for a wick knob mechanism used to lift the glass chimney.
This glass lift can be found on the La Rafale lantern.
Products Mentioned in 1914
A newspaper article from 1914 mentions two SIAE hurricane lantern models:
La Rafale and La Parisienne.
Praise During World War I (1916)
A newspaper article from 1916 describes SIAE’s achievements at the Lyon Fair (La Foire de Lyon) during the First World War. Despite shortages of labour and materials, the company completed thousands of transactions during the fair.
According to the article, SIAE was regarded as one of the most important firms in its field and had long competed directly with the German manufacturers. Efficient production methods and modern tooling allowed it to displace the German kerosene burners that had dominated the French market for years.
The article lists the brand names under which SIAE sold its burners:
- S.I.
- Lutèce
- Gaulois
- Gladiator
These were said to be full replacements for the imported burners then in use: Matador Polaire, H.S., Hugo, Olga, Odin, Stella and Augusta.
Relocation and Shareholders (1930–1933)
In 1930 SIAE moved from Boulevard Richard-Lenoir to 66 Rue Amelot, Paris — the same street where Dresco Frères had its factory at number 62 some seventy years earlier, a reminder of how concentrated the Paris lamp trade was.
Post-War Changes and Merger Into Etablissements Pigeon (1946–1948)
From 1946 onward the company name was extended to include heating products: Société Industrielle d’Articles d’Éclairage et de Chauffage.
Around the same time, the company contributed assets to Etablissements Pigeon. A newspaper report from 1948 confirms that SIAE became a shareholder in Etablissements Pigeon. After this date the name SIAE largely disappears from the public record, which suggests the company was absorbed into Pigeon.
Some sources state that the SIAE factories suffered extensive damage during the Second World War, although no documentation has been found to confirm this.
Acknowledgments & Sources
With thanks to Jörg Wekemann for sharing his knowledge and information, and to Simeon Denbaes and Henk Kloosterman for sharing their passion for French hurricane lanterns and their valuable insights.
Sources – numerous references were consulted. Questions or comments about the information above are welcome via the contact page.
- Delcampe.net – historical invoices
- gallica.bnf.fr – historical newspaper
- retronews.fr – historical newspaper articles
- Inpi.fr – patent records
- Geneanet – genealogical information
