Monday 9 July 2012

Lincoln, Saint-André-de-Cubzac

Upon leaving Saint-André-de-Cubzac in the direction of Paris, several painted signs awaited drivers, including this one for Lincoln's washing machines.

The information about this particular brand of domestic appliances is very patchy. Although the name would suggest otherwise, Lincoln was actually a French company, based Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris. As for the factory, it was in the industrial suburb of Gennevilliers. Its history seems closely connected with the period known in France as the Trente Glorieuses, characterised by steady economic growth and rising standards of living.
Lincoln launched its first washing machine in 1949. By then these appliances were still very expensive: its 1953 'Cadette' cost 150,000 francs plus tax when presented to the public at the Foire de Paris. That would be equivalent to 3,048 euros. However the number of households equipped with a washing machine rose sharply in the 1960s, from 35% in 1960 to 57% in 1970 and 70% in 1974, and Lincoln became a household name. Even though they were often more expensive than their competitors', Lincoln's products were appreciated for their design and well-known for their sturdiness. Yet after 1975 the economy slowed down and in this context prices became an important factor. Several post-war manufacturers disappeared or were taken over in the 1970s. By the end of the decade the market was dominated by three groups, Thomson-Brandt, Arthur-Martin and Philips, and two independent companies, Lincoln and Flandria. Like Flandria, Lincoln survived for a few more years but the company finally disappeared in the 1980s.

Lincoln
Machines à laver
Salvaco
2 Place Tourny . Bordeaux

No information is available about the Salvaco. Could this have been Lincoln's representative in Gironde? Or was this the company that rented the space on this wall? In any case it certainly did well enough: Place Tourny is one of Bordeaux's most expensive areas. Nowadays in lieu of Savalco's offices, one finds a Comtesse du Barry shop selling fois gras and other French delicacies.

Location: Rue Nationale, Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Gironde / Pictures taken in May 2012

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