Didot

Didot LEGER DIDOT, aka DIDOT SAINT-LEGER (1767-1829) Links to John Gamble and Fourdrinier. Constructed first successful endless-roll paper-making machine, after design of Nicolas Louis Robert. Didot family were very famous as printers and publishers, and eventually as papermakers. Pierre-Francois Didot-Saint-Leger was born in 1767, second son of Pierre Francois Didot (1732-93), and grandson of Francois Didot (1669-1757) who started family printing business. Most often known as "Leger Didot", he came into possession of the Essonnes Paper Mills (1793) near Paris on father's death, where c. 1796 first model of a paper machine was constructed, based on the invention of Nicolas Louis Robert, one of his foremen. In 1794, LD had hired Robert to work in accounting dept. of the Essonnes Mill, but Robert proved so capable that was soon promoted to Clerk Inspector of some 300 men engated in making paper by hand. Problems of managing this workforce and maintaining product quality inspired Robert to consi