Victor Morel and Antoine Joseph Grummer: Builders of Exceptional Carriages

The story of some of nineteenth-century Europe’s most luxurious carriage—and the people who made them. Founded in 1845 by Victor Jacques Morel (1814–79), Maison V. Morel was one of the most important Parisian coachbuilders during the second half of the nineteenth century, a time when French manufacturers dominated the industry. Antoine-Joseph Grümmer (1834–1909) succeeded Jacques Morel in 1879, renaming the company Société J. Grümmer. Their superb and elegant carriages were the talk of high society both in their native France and abroad, due in part to contributions to the accessories and finishing materials made by such illustrious names as Louis Vuitton and Hermès. This book tells the story of the company and its two leaders, drawing from previously unpublished documents and numerous illustrations of Morel and Grümmer’s remarkable carriages.