The lace Museum in Caudry A manufacture of dreams… Restoring the atmosphere of the 19th century, the museum of the lace allows the visitor to see working brilliant mechanics. Restoring the atmosphere of the 19th century, the lace museum allows the visitor to see brilliant mechanics working. The lace factory Théophile and Jean-Baptiste Carpentier, which shelters the museum, was built in 1898. Built in red brick, this building at two levels and at the wide openings is typical of the industrial architecture of the 19th century. The architectural prejudice knew how to respect the character of the building, while strengthening its opening on the outside. A contemporary glass roof introduces the visitor into the transparency of the lace universe. The museum approaches the fashion under a particular angle and proposes an initiatory course to the sources of the feminine refinement. From the original sketch of the artist to its invaluable realization, the museum makes you discover the origins of tulle, lace and mechanical embroidery industries, in the Cambrai area. Lace industry manufactures dreams: one evening dress, one day dress or every day dress, the lace fashion is presented under its various aspects. So, from the end of the 19th century to our days, a magnificent collection of dresses and fashion accessories, without forgetting ancient or contemporary numerous samples, testify faithfully of their period. During the visit, you will discover the history of the know-how of Caudry in mechanical lace (since 1838), in the first tulle frame of Caudry (1823 ). A video (14 minutes) redraws the history of the lace and the various stages of the manufacturing. You will also see there a collection of magnificent dresses, demonstrations of frames. Exhibitions, conferences, conducted tours are also programmed. You will find a shop on the spot. More information (Web connexion necessary)
	Haute-Couture creations which inspires the biggest names of the fashion When lace becomes an art… Today Caudry produces under the label "Lace of Calais", a lace of quality aimed at the most prestigious Haute-Couture houses. The worldwide greatest couturiers, from Yves Saint-Laurent to Chanel, not forgetting Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld or Lolita Lempicka, could not resist to the envy of using the lace of Caudry. Discover the works of Cambrésis creators in the Caudry lace museum during the numerous exhibitions and the fashion shows. More information about the exhibitions to come (Web connexion necessary)

Laces top of the range of this spring dress were produced in Caudry. The lace of Caudry holds a place of honour Michelle Obama was wearing, this Easter Sunday, at the exit of the mass, a dress created by the fashion designer Peter Sorenen and realized in lace of Caudry. The laces of this spring dress were produced in Caudry, in one of the high-end lace specialized companies, which already had the opportunity to produce materials for Marylin Monroe and more recently for Hilary Clinton who wore a Caudry lace dress for the nomination ball of her husband. The lace was then printed in Avesnes-lez-Aubert, company specialized in textile ennoblement, bleaching and dye on parts, in particular. It is about a part in “lace of Calais” stitches ivory and silver colours, and then was printed in 6 different colours, in particular pink, purple, dark salmon and 3 different greens, so composing an effect flowery bouquet very refreshing. The dress was ordered to the cambresian industrials in September, for the fashion designer Peter Sorenen, which had to create a dress for the ceremony of nomination. The choice of the First Lady had then concerned in another creation, saving this dress for another demonstration. It happened this Easter Sunday. The professionals, members of the "Griffe du Cambrésis®", associated their skills, their professionalism and their know-how to honour this prestigious order. The “Griffe du Cambrésis®” is a referent quality, created and proposed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Cambrésis to the professionals of the textile sector. This certification attests industrial know-how, a constant creativity and innovation of products. Quality controls are realized by independent laboratories accredited by the Cofrac. Affixed on articles, delivered after examination of a technical committee consisted of scientific bodies, industrialists, distributors and consumers, it attests the quality of these articles. Luxury linen production A world Fame Known for the quality of its high-end linen. Today the inside of hotels and the most sophisticated places raise bath towels, sheets, tablecloths of Caudry : The Ritz, The Platza Athénée, the Maison Blanche, the Elysée and the luxury hotels of United Arab Emirates. Collections more trends, considered as their originality, their variety and their finity of manufacturing, go out of companies of Cambrésis and are in the specialized shops, Department stores, the mail-order selling or Web. A traditional activity which knew how to evolve and develop in the district since about hundred years.

Laces and embroidery of the Caudry A little bit of history… Humble village of 1926 inhabitants in 1804, nothing seemed to predispose Caudry to become, a century later, an industrial city of 14000 inhabitants. Away from any axis of communication, Caudry is one of these cities arisen from the industry; better, she arose from one industry, the industry of tulles, laces and mechanical embroidery. 200 years ago nothing distinguished Caudry from the other rural villages of our region. Indeed, as in most of the villages of the Cambrai area, the weaving of the linen constituted in Caudry the indispensable complement to the agricultural activity. (Besides, during excavations made in the street Rue des Saules in 1997, we found elements of weaving. We would thus have weaved in Caudry, from the 1st century). Since the end of the High Middle Ages, batistes (very fine linen) made the reputation of the weavers of the region which we named Mulquiniers. Of this industry, the Caudrésis has kept weavers' houses. Implanted perpendicularly with the street, they are endowed with vaults often closed by wooden shutters. The weaving of the linen was made in a wet atmosphere so that the fiber keeps all its flexibility. In 1789 : 13029 looms were implanted in the villages which were in the legal sphere of influence of Cambrai. However, after 1790, the set fell over. Instructed to resist to the offensive of cotton, confronted with the competition with factories in technological transformations, the manufacturing of linen began decaying (the last working arm loom belonged to the father of the former mayor of Caudry Henri Sandras). So Mulquiniers of Caudry had to find an activity of reconversion. And this activity was the tulle (the tulle indicates the geometrical motive which constitutes the bottom of the lace). Let us go in England to remember the genesis of tulle machines. To protect its less successfull industry, France closes its borders to the British tulle. Ruined, some English cross the Channel. They matter in fraud wood frames which travel in secret in the stomach of boats. These tulle frames went back in the regions of textile tradition : Valenciennes in 1815, Calais in 1816, Saint-Quentin in 1823. So begin the history of the tulle in the North of France. And it is in 1823 that the first circular frame is established in Cambrésis and more exactly in Beauvois. It was settled by Carpriau about whom we know only few things except that he brought from Anvers a frame brought out in fraud from England. Two years later in 1825, Placide Gabet settled two small frames in the castle of Caudry. It then seems that all the Caudry city dashes into the adventure. The jobs are copied and the know-how stolen from the English mechanics. The main part of the production is dedicated to the tulle of cotton used in the manufacturing of mosquito nets. In 1827 Caudry accounts 25 factories and 220 frames dedicated to this production. But how explain this fast expansion of the tulle mechanics in Caudrésis ? The setting-up of the tulle in Caudry and in the region is essentially due to a fate defined as a fortuitous interference of 3 series of determinism, namely : - An economic malaise due to the decline of the linen - A workforce already formed in the requirements of a meticulous work - The introduction of a production tool enjoying then favours of the fashion So to go out of the slump, Mulquinieurs and weavers started to produce some tulle with the huge hope to find finally the prosperity of former days. In 1838 the textile world was marked by a new technical revolution. In Cambrai, Jourdan and Fergusson manages to adapt the system to the tulle businesses, so giving birth to the mechanical called lace. The lace will henceforth be produced by said frames Leavers. The first lace frames were implemented in Caudry in 1840 by the Tofflin brothers who had worked as tulle workers in Saint Pierre Lez Calais. From 1850, these frames are moved by the vapour (in Caudry, the first steam engine was assembled at André Carpentier’s place). In 1865, the first guipure frame is settled in Caudry (guipure : material devoid of bottom and made of wide stitches, the main use of which is the preparation of curtains and blinds of furnishing). However the Caudresian industry of tulle and lace will begin to know difficulties and it until 1880. However, the end of the 19th century brings to Caudry the reward of its tenacity and its courage by a prosperity that we did not expect anymore. Indeed the wearing of the mechanical lace in the feminine costume spreads in all the social classes. In 1880 considerable credits are granted by the bank Débail. These credits allow the craftsmen to replace the dilapidated equipment with modern machines. From 1880 till 1900 factories and big primers are built and frames are daily delivered in Caudry. Most of the factories are built on a rectangular plan with big plate glass windows and on several floors. The ground floor was occupied by machines, the first floor by the workshop of threads preparation. The lace of Caudry is exported everywhere. The agents go conquer Russia, America and East. The buyers of the whole world come in the city on the occasion of the seasonal fairs. And nevertheless tulle work was not rose-coloured as Fernand Beauvillain put so well in song in 1894. From Monday to Saturday evening the frame beating gave rhythm to the life of the city. At that time there were always 2 tulle workers by frame taking turns of 4 shifts of 5 or 6 hours for an average wage of 7 to 9 francs a day (while a primary school teacher gained only 3 francs). At the same time Caudry is interested in the mechanical embroidery (which the first frame was brought back from Switzerland to Saint-Quentin by Hector Basquin in 1868). In 1893, Gabet-Carpentier and Tilmant were the first ones to introduce the embroidery in Caudry and it is in 1906 that Mr Beauvillain, on the return of a journey in Saxony, settled the first embroidery frame with Jacquard. So, until 1914, and in spite of grave labor disputes (strikes of 1891, 1898…) Caudry knows an era of exceptional prosperity. On the eve of the Great War, the city account 600 Leavers lace frames for 117 manufacturers, 550 tulle frames and 30 guipure frames. To this potential of production are added 630 embroidery frames. On August 26th, 1914 Caudry is invaded. Germans plunder and destroy systematically the frames, the drawings, the papers... At the end of the war, most of the caudresian manufacturers use war damage to modernize their production tool. Caudry turns then to the lace in big width and top of the range production. On the other hand Calais keeps its low width frames. Henceforth both cities share the bodies of women : in Calais the underwear and the naughty charms of lingerie, in Caudry the Haute-Couture creations. Besides, Caudry makes it a priority to distance itself from its maritime rival, by translating in French all the terms of the business. So in Caudry we say “bobineur” and “ourdisseur” whereas in Calais use the English terms “wheeler” and “wapper”. With one year of delay the lace manufacturers of Caudry are touched by the Wall Street crash. From 1931, the situation is catastrophic and the unemployment is almost complete. This situation continues until 1937 but the war, as in 1914, slows down the resumption. In spite of the German harassments the first nylon tulle is produced caudresian frames in 1943. After the liberation, the manufacturers and the workers strive to assimilate the new technology of the materials and to use all the state-of-the-art textiles as the fibrane, the rayon, the nylon, the lurex... The lace so declines in black and white, in four-color and in abstract, ornamental and infinitely varying motives. It is a success and the pads of order are full until 1956, at that date various countries of America take protectionist measures. Also, the suppression of the mantilla by Pope Jean XXIII in church services is cruelly felt by the profession. 100 mantilla frames stop overnight. The crisis will last until 1976. During the last 30 years improvements have been made on the frames : like the addition of break-in-thread system by Mr Lescroart or the computerization of the lace drawing Leavers and the cardboard drilling Jacquard loom by the Jean Bracq Company. Also, in addition to the lace Leavers (the only one to possess the "Lace of Calais" label), has developed a lace more down-market called Rachel, Textronic or Jacquard loom Tronic. Today Caudry produces under the label "lace of Calais", a lace of quality aimed at the most prestigious Haute-Couture houses. The worldwide greatest couturiers, from Yves Saint-Laurent to Chanel, not forgetting Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld or Lolita Lempicka, could not resist to the envy of using the lace of Caudry. If the textile industry and, in particular the lace, remains the foundation of the industrial caudresian activity with 800 employees for a dozen of lace producers who export more than 80% of a sophisticated product, the economic boom bases henceforth on the diversification of the activities. So sectors such as the food-processing industry, the cosmetics and the printing industry developed in Caudry thanks to the various business parks which were created from the 70s. The presence and the development of the industry of tulles, lace, guipures and embroidery had demographic, urban, social, political and cultural repercussions on the city of Caudry. The development of an industry always provokes the appearance of important human concentrations. It has been the case for Caudry which took advantage of the exodus of a large workforce from surrounding countryside. From 1926 inhabitants in 1804, the Caudresian population reaches 5331 inhabitants in 1881 then 13390 in 1913; figure which stabilizes since this date. Indeed the census made in 1999 indicates that the Caudresian population reaches the figure of 13697 inhabitants. The industry of tulles and laces also had repercussions in the urban structure as in the architecture of the city. Indeed in Caudry juxtapose labour miners' houses, lordly houses and textile workshops. It is also necessary to notice that from the second half of the 19th century, the textile companies move out of the city, creating real districts of which they constitute the heart. The most typical example is the Transvaal district.