Furrier-Merchant
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Le Marchand pelletier | The Furrier Merchant
A marchand pelletier, or furrier-merchant, purchased furs and sold them to various craftsmen who used them to make articles of clothing. He wasn’t, however, a mere intermediary between sellers and buyers. He had to treat the raw hides before he could sell them to his clients.
The manufacturing process depended on the type of skin the furrier was working with, but the main steps followed the same pattern.
Dressage: the skin was made wet and stretched to assess its size. The furrier could then determine the number of skins needed to make a garment, for example. Repairs were then made if necessary.
Sorting: the furrier sorted the skins by colour or shade, in order to ensure the homogeneity of the end product.
Nailing: the skin was wet once again and stretched to its maximum. It was then hung up with nails and staples and left to dry. It would become somewhat rigid, allowing the furrier to give it a specific shape.
Cutting & sewing: there were two possible cuts:
Working with the full skin: the skins were assembled and sewn end-to-end to make the surface of the garment. The joints were cut based a template.
Elongation: the skins were cut into V-shaped slats. The Vs were then sewn together in a staggered pattern.
"Fur traders at Montreal", 1916 drawing by George Agnew Reid, Library and Archives Canada.
"Fur traders at Montreal", 1916 drawing by George Agnew Reid, Library and Archives Canada
Known persons who had this occupation: Louis Amyot, Édouard Garant, Pierre-Jean Guerineau, René Guerineau, Jean-Joseph Heker, Godfrey King, Joseph Wexler.
Sources:
Bernard Allaire, “Le commerce des fourrures à Paris et les pelleteries d’origine canadienne en France (1500-1632)”, Ph.D. thesis, Department of History, Université Laval, July 1995.
“Georges Boutis, fourreur”, Patrimoine culturel immatériel français, Ministère de la Culture (http://www.culture.gouv.fr).