François-Charles Oberthür
French printer, businessman and amateur entomologist
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.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
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
· 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/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:30 UTC