Leclaire

Leclaire, EDMÉ-JEAN, was born at Aisy-sur-Armanceon, 100 miles S.E. of Paris, 14th May 1801. First engaged in farm-work, and afterwards as a mason's apprentice, he started for Paris, where he arrived friendless and penniless, and apprenticed himself to a house-painter. He proved a capable and industrious workman, and in his twenty-sixth year began business on his own account. By energy and by doing good work he soon secured a large business and took the front rank in the trade. His desire to benefit his workmen and do away with the existing antagonism between employer and employed led him to take M. Frégier's advice, and allow the workmen to participate in the profits of the master. Besides, he compelled people to be honest by issuing pamphlets exposing the tricks of the painting trade by means of which bad and scamped work was passed off for good. He also discovered a method of utilising white of zinc, instead of white of lead, much to the benefit of the workmen's health. His system of Profit-sharing (q.v.), which worked most successfully, was begun in 1842. He died 13th July 1872.