Barthélémy Bronze
Bronze made in the South of France since 1925
It was in Crest, in the Drôme department, that the Barthélémy family founded their company in 1925, an art foundry specializing in religious art for churches.
In the 1960s, the owners, who had no children, offered René Bouis, the grandfather of the current manager, the opportunity to take over their company. He agreed to carry on developing this family business, which achieved great success with more than 70 employees.
From craftsmanship to a modern company
In the 1980s, his son François, an engineer by training, transformed the bronze foundry and its exclusively traditional craftsmanship into a modern company by applying the most advanced technologies to classical craftsmanship.
At the end of the 1990s, fascinated by the unlimited possibilities of the upcoming digital revolution, François introduced the first digital cutting machine at Barthélémy. This proved to be the beginning of a rapid evolution in the bronze market in Europe. Barthélémy became the benchmark for cut bronze letters, which offered numerous advantages over traditional foundry typefaces
Also passionate about art, François founded Barthélémy Art. This separate company specializes in art engraving and collaborates with artists and sculptors from across Europe
A medieval tower and cutting-edge technologies
As you approach Crest, you will see from afar the landmark that gives the town its reputation – the Crest Tower.
Dating back to the 11th century, it was originally part of a castle and, at just over 50 meters tall, it is now the tallest medieval fortress in France.
It was in the shadow of this tower that Barthélémy Bronze launched the software ‘Letters’ in 2010, aiming to make orders easy, fast, and personalized for its customers. With all these new technologies, Barthélémy has managed to maintain the high quality of their bronze, which contains a minimum of 85% copper.
The new generation
The family business is now managed by engineer Simon Bouis, François’s nephew. Since starting his career at Barthélémy in 2003, he has continuously developed digital processes, robotic technologies, and web applications.
Under his leadership, Barthélémy Bronze has gained additional expertise by integrating cutting-edge technologies into the traditional engraver’s craft
The production of digitally cut connected letters has three key advantages compared to traditional typefaces: finer fonts, a greater variety of sizes, and suitability for small monuments (such as funerary or columbarium inscriptions), where foundry letters cannot fit due to their larger size.
The presence of only two drill holes per word makes installation easier compared to the two drill holes per unconnected letter of traditional foundry typefaces
All fonts from Barthélémy Bronze are exclusive creations by a typographer.
Barthélémy Bronze Today
Since June 2017, this innovative company has taken personalized memorials even further with the launch of b-CUSTOM on its website: this configurator allows the creation of individualized bronze designs that symbolize life and commemorate the deceased, providing a tailored solution to your needs
After all, who has never faced a family’s specific request for a funerary ornament that is not included in bronze makers’ catalogs ?
The 4 Bs
The Barthélémy Bronze website offers you 4 intuitive tools*
b-Letters
b-LETTERS allows you to create and customize inscriptions, plaques, and frames.
b-LETTERS lets you create and personalize inscriptions, plaques, and frames.
b-Custom
b-CUSTOM propose la création de motifs entièrement personnalisés : selon leur personnalité et vos propres souvenirs, l’ornement qui décorera le monument de vos êtres chers ne ressemblera à aucun autre. Qu’ils aient été passionné de foot, motard ou guitariste, vous pouvez télécharger vos propres motifs pour les faire produire par Barthélémy Bronze.
b-Photo
b-PHOTO allows you to print a photo of your loved one(s) on porcelain. Choose the shape, size, framing, and background, and you can immediately generate an online preview. Barthélémy Bronze technicians will then create the finished product.
b-Catalogue
b-CATALOGUE provides direct access to the full range of Barthélémy Bronze ornaments
*Real-time quotes and order placement are reserved for professionals in the funeral sector. It is also possible for the funeral advisor to design a complete creation online and present it to the famil