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François-Charles Oberthür

1818 – 1893

French printer, businessman and amateur entomologist

LepidopteristPrinter Businessperson
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About François-Charles Oberthür

Lived 1818 – 1893 (aged 74–75). François-Charles Oberthür was a French lepidopterist, printer and businessperson.

François-Charles Oberthür (; 1818, Strasbourg – 1893) was the founder of the French printing group Imprimerie Oberthur (fr). In Strasbourg, François-Charles, an engraver, ran a printing press, with Alois Senefelder, the inventor of lithography. He moved to Rennes in 1838, qualified as a lithographer in 1842 and then founded a printing company, with a partner. He became the sole owner in 1855, calling his enterprise the Imprimerie Oberthür.

Imprimerie Oberthür was the exclusive printer for Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest (Western Railway Company), published the first French telephone directory publisher and the "Almanach des Postes" Post Office almanac. These became a huge success, bringing cheap but very high quality art printing to many thousands of families across France. The press also specialized in colour plates featuring flowers, butterflies and beetles. François-Charles Oberthür also devised the French standard reference for tints.

He was an amateur entomologist specialising in Lepidoptera especially Zygaenidae and Lycaenidae. He had two sons René Oberthür and Charles Oberthür. Both became entomologists. The Oberthur house, n° 82 de la rue de Paris, is preserved in Rennes and a "jardin anglais" in Rennes is named for him.

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Important facts

Born
1818, Strasbourg
Birth century
Died
1893, 6th arrondissement of Paris
Occupation
Lepidopterist, printer, businessperson
Nationality
Awards
Knight of the Legion of Honour; Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great

People in François-Charles Oberthür's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped François-Charles Oberthür's

Frequently asked questions

Who was François-Charles Oberthür?

French printer, businessman and amateur entomologist (1818–1893)

When was François-Charles Oberthür born?

François-Charles Oberthür was born in 1818 in Strasbourg.

When did François-Charles Oberthür die?

François-Charles Oberthür died in 1893 in 6th arrondissement of Paris.

What was François-Charles Oberthür's occupation?

François-Charles Oberthür was a lepidopterist, printer and businessperson.

What nationality was François-Charles Oberthür?

François-Charles Oberthür was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: François-Charles Oberthür

· Wikidata: Q3083324

· DBpedia: François-Charles Oberthür

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). François-Charles Oberthür. https://biography.guide/francois-charles-oberthur/

MLA: "François-Charles Oberthür." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/francois-charles-oberthur/.

Chicago: "François-Charles Oberthür." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/francois-charles-oberthur/.

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