Archive record 015 · Original document

Paris, on paper.

A Leuchars and Son bill from 2 rue de la Paix.
Handwritten date provisionally read as 29 May 1893.

This original bill places Leuchars and Son at 2 rue de la Paix beneath the name “Geffroy Succʳ”. In the opposite corner, a “Maison Correspondante” is printed at 38 & 39 Piccadilly, London. The handwritten date is provisionally read as 29 May 1893.

Two cities on one sheet

The heading combines an English house name with French commercial language. “Geffroy Succʳ” identifies Geffroy as successor; “Maison Correspondante” describes the London connection as a corresponding house. The wording records how this Paris business presented itself, without explaining the ownership or commercial arrangements between the two addresses.

The range of the house

Orfèvrerie. Sacs de voyage. Papeterie. Maroquinerie. The printed trade line moves from goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ wares to travelling bags, stationery and leather goods. It describes the activities advertised by the business, rather than identifying the particular object charged on this bill.

A transaction in gilt mounts

The customer appears to be “Madame Philipson”. The entry includes “avec montures dorées”—with gilt mounts—and an amount read as 70 francs. Its opening word remains unresolved, so the object itself has not been identified. Gilt mounts do not establish either solid-gold construction or the material of the object they fitted.

Below the entry, “Pour acquit”, the business name and a signature accompany an affixed revenue stamp. These details preserve the character of a receipted account as well as the formal presentation of the house.

A later Paris bill, 1921

A separate bill illustrated by Librairie Diktats preserves the Leuchars and Son, Geffroy Succʳ heading and 2 rue de la Paix address. In the published photograph, 1921 is visible in both the handwritten date and the receipt stamp. This is photographic evidence of a later dated Paris account, rather than merely a date supplied in the seller’s title.

The London corresponding-house address appears to read 46 Maddox Street, Bond Street; the seller’s description gives 48. That discrepancy remains open. The photograph was inspected on 21 October 2026; the original is not in the present collection. It warrants further research into the Paris chronology, without by itself establishing continuous operation or ownership between the two bills.