Clairefontaine, over 168 years of paper

Where it all began

The story of Clairefontaine

The story of Clairefontaine begins in 1858, when Jean-Baptiste Bichelberger founded the Papeteries de Clairefontaine in Étival-Clairefontaine, in the Vosges. The company then dedicated itself to making printing and writing papers. Although the region has a papermaking tradition dating back to the 16th century, 1858 is the official founding date of the Clairefontaine house.

From 1890 onwards, the activity was no longer limited to papermaking: the company also began producing stationery articles, notably notebooks and various writing materials. Clairefontaine thus gradually mastered the entire production chain, from manufacturing paper to transforming it into finished products.

In 1950, Charles Nusse took over the Papeteries de Clairefontaine. He wanted to offer schoolchildren better-quality notebooks, with soft paper that was pleasant to write on, as well as stronger and more colourful covers than those commonly used at the time. Clairefontaine notebooks gradually became references in French school stationery.

In 1997, the acquisition of Rhodia by the Clairefontaine group gave birth to Clairefontaine Rhodia . The company designs, manufactures and markets school, office, fine arts and creative stationery through different brands, including Clairefontaine and Rhodia.