From a very young age, in his native Périgord, Jean Pradier began the trade of tinsmith. He had a true passion for an already ancient trade. Lanterns drew his attention and captured his mind. He loved the idea of being able to master the material, imagine shapes and purposefully fashion what is both useful and beautiful. At the end of the 19^th century, Paris was undergoing complete renewal. The “City of Lights” was under complete construction and Baron Haussmann was mobilising talents. Jean Pradier went to this city that inspired him and plunged into this era of modernity.

He discovered that the lanterns, although superior in style to what he had known until then, did no more than what they were supposed to do: shed light. He observed, took note, harnessed the energy of his fellow workers and of experts. From workshop to workshop, he gathered advice, compared techniques, acquired rich memories and learned from this unrivalled city. He studied how the art of bending and spinning, how a light curve can modify the effect rendered and change the ambiance. With his perspective and strong observation he gauged proportions and learned to differentiate between the banal and the unique. He quickly understood that lanterns bring life, magnify monuments, shade gardens, showcase walls that had been faceless for centuries. Light shines and must be able to spread, fragment, highlight and isolate without ever dazzling. Light changes as the hours go by, it soaks up seasonal atmospheres, reflects its environment and constantly reinvents places and spaces.

1910 was a milestone year for him. He started a family and set up his workshop in Belleville, in the working class neighbourhood of Paris, with the ambition of focusing his activity on what is beautiful. He combined his know-how with the demands of a varied clientele and thus created the lantern of a thousand uses. Jean Pradier forged his creative independence and quickly gained a solid reputation for high quality. The special bond with his two sons encouraged him in his quest. They both soon followed in their father’s steps.

Roger, the younger son, brought about continuous and respectful developments and integrated decisive technical innovations for new products and new uses. He perfected his father’s gestures, was conscious of the need for providing strong creation and pushed the requirement of quality. While he understood the importance of inherited tradition, he also understood the need for reasoned modernity. His son, the third generation of these talented craftsmen, broadened the company’s horizons. An open and curious person, he went to explore international markets, experimented with alloys and made creation his driving force of action. Always attentive and reactive, infinitely respectful of the founding values, he soaked up the developments of a changing world that drives people to push the limits of what is possible.

Since then, the Pradier family has passed the baton and transferred its knowledge and skills by drawing in particular from the convergence of shared passions. The creative ambition, the high standards of manufacturing and the quest for excellence are the main hallmarks of the Roger Pradier® company. The course of its history is solid, held together by a passionate team of women and men who constantly enhance it with the added value of their experience, holders of unrivalled and therefore precious knowledge and skills, inheriting and in turn passing on a history dear to them that has travelled through three centuries.