balance, marked J.G.
This beautiful balance is marked J.G.. By searching old French magazines and newspapers at Gallica I came up with three entries in Paris-Annuaire Général de l'industrie et du commerce of 1900. On page 373 is Girard (J.) a fabric. de siphons et pèse-lettres. imp. de l'Orillon 5. On page 790 there is Girard (J.) fabrique de pèse-lettres en tous langues. Marque déposée J.G. imp. de l'Orillon 5. On page 1294 there is a slightly different text, there it is: Girard (J.), fabrique de pèse-lettres en tous genres. Marque déposée J.G. impasse de l'Orillon 5. So it is very likely that J. Girard from Paris is the maker of letter scales with the J.G. Brand. The company existed from 1889-1899 at address impasse de l'Orillon 3, and from 1900-1905 at address impasse de l'Orillon 5 (source: Le Système Metrique 1993, no.1, pp. 751). In Archive commerciales de la France of June 21, 1905 it is reported that Restorf bought the company from Girard-Le-moine (communautairé) on June 8, 1905. It is unclear whether Restorf continued to make use of the J.G. trade mark.
Originally this letter balance was nickel plated, just like the weights still are. The layer was partly
back of the balance
