Vintage French Made Hammered Copper Stockpot Imported by Charles F. Lamalle, NYC

Description

1940's vintage French hammered copper and tin lined stockpot with D-shape (anse) bronze hand grips projecting from a broad baseplate. … more 1940's vintage French hammered copper and tin lined stockpot with D-shape (anse) bronze hand grips projecting from a broad baseplate. Such pots were ordered and imported by the retailer Charles F. Lamalle (b. 1927 France - d. 1991, NYC). Lamalle was greatly influential in the American cookware industry as an importer of fine French pots, pans and other cooking utensils. Per the NYT on July 7, 1983, "Suffice it to say that if Calvin Coolidge had ever looked for a heavy-gauge copper saucepan for the White House kitchen, Mr. Lamalle would have been the man to see."

Dimensions:
9" diameter (pot body)
13" wide (with handles)
9.25" exterior depth
Weight: 6lbs 15.1oz / 3147grams
Thickness: 2mm

Condition:
Very good. This pot has been professionally polished and retinned by East Coast Tinning. See before and after photographs. As a result, it looks almost as good as new.

Provenance:
Property from a Litchfield, Connecticut Estate Collection

About Copper Cookware:
Copper has played an important role in culinary history for centuries. No other metal can be counted on to absorb heat and distribute it as rapidly and evenly as copper. Similarly, when removed from the heat copper responds quickly. As a result of the responsiveness of copper cookware it has been the go-to choice for chefs and cooks all over the world.

About Charles F. Lamalle:
Charles F. Lamalle was the son of charcutiers in Lons-le-Saunier, France. He immigrated to New York City in 1927 aged 22. Soon after Lamalle became a major importer of copper cookware from leading French manufacturers such as Mauviel, Havard and Lefevre. Many items were custom made and some were specifically designed for use in the finest restaurants. In addition to cookware his store stocked Sabatier knives and other French kitchenware long before other gourmet kitchen stores opened. The New York Times of July 13, 1983 said “Mr. Lamalle … is to French copper-ware what Tiffany & Company is to diamonds” and “his specialty is triple-gauge copper pots and skillets with thick bronze handles, some of which weigh as much as a young St. Bernard.”

The postwar years were a time when French restaurants bloomed in New York, and Mr. Lamalle was here to supply them. ''It was quite a time to be here,'' he said. The American cooking boom in the past decade has created an even greater demand for French utensils nationwide, and Mr. Lamalle's role in this trend led to his decoration by the French Government as a Chevalier de l'Economie Nationale as well as his appointment as a Conseiller du Commerce Exterieur de la France. less