The Belgian Clay Pipe Industry - Ruud Stam

The Pipe Industry in Belgium – Ruud Stam

A fine collection of five different articles, as published in recent years, relating to the Belgian pipe industry.

Preface

Over the past few years, I have published five articles on the Belgian pipe industry in the yearbooks of the PKN Stichting voor onderzoek historische tabakspijpen. These five articles provide an overview of the development of this branch of industry and complement earlier research carried out in Belgium. Particular attention has been given to the economic and social developments of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The present publication is a reprint of these articles, supplemented with several additional images of important Belgian pipes and extra photographs of the production process in the factory of Daniel Verheyleweghen, which was in operation in Andenelle from 1902 to 1932. The development of the Belgian pipe industry differed markedly from that in the Netherlands. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, production fluctuated across a number of different locations, without any real concentration of the industry. The quality of the pipes was often poor and could not compete with those produced in Gouda. This early development is briefly discussed in the first article. In the nineteenth century, however, quality improved significantly, and Belgian pipe makers shifted their orientation from Dutch to French models, particularly figurative pipes. The general development of the pipe industry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as the evolution of its product range, is also addressed in this first article. The second article focuses on the export activities of Belgian pipe makers, especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, based on previously unexamined statistical data. It becomes clear that Belgium was almost always a net importer of clay pipes. The final section discusses the usefulness and limitations of these statistics. The third article highlights several aspects of the social history of pipe makers. Drawing primarily on statistical data, it examines the development and differentiation of wages, child and female labor, working hours, and comparisons with the pipe-making industry in Gouda. The fourth article describes various aspects of social struggle in Belgium. Many pipes were produced that reflected these struggles and were used to reinforce protest movements. For example, the unjustly convicted strikers Falleur and Schmidt were depicted on pipes; there were pipes supporting the fight for the eight-hour working day and the unity of the labor movement. There were also the so-called Rodge-Nez pipes, featuring a red nose, which allowed individuals to express their views about employers or authorities without risking punishment. The Boer War was also depicted on a Belgian pipe, as the conflict resonated strongly there and was seen as a war of emancipation for the Boers. The final article was produced with the cooperation of the Musée de Nimy (Carrefour de la Céramique), where I was granted permission to open all display cases, photograph pipes, and access a number of documents and photographs. This made it possible to document the pipe industry in Nimy, Maisières, and Mons. The history and products of four major factories—Scouflaire, Nihoul, Croquet, and Gundenberghe—are discussed in detail. Pipes related to social struggle were also produced in this center, including those advocating women’s suffrage (Suffrage Universel). Finally, two commemorative pipes by Thres-Knoedgen from Liège, depicting events from the Crimean War, are included, along with photographs from the factory of Daniel Verheyleweghen in Andenne. I wish you an enjoyable and engaging reading experience.

Ruud Stam