Two brothers Emile and Joseph L’Herminé Declercq, set up a ceramic manufacture in Orchies (in Flanders), in 1886. Emile already owned a pottery factory in nearby Belgium, in the town of Rebaix, but wanted to expand his output through a joint venture with his brother. It is worth noting that Orchies was situated close to the famous ceramic centre of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux where the Moulin des Loups factory had been based since the 18th century. The new pottery initially concentrated on the production of faience pottery and was staffed mainly by Belgian pottery families who used to work in Rimbaud and who emigrated to France. In 1904, Orchies ceramic production became more artistic under the name of L’Herminé et Cie. The mark “OLD” thus stands for Orchies L’Herminé Declercq.
In 1923 the Orchies and Hamage factories merged and became Moulin des Loups & Hamage. The new company’s mark generally comprises a windmill and the name ORCHIES in capitals. Production increased considerably between 1920 and 1970. The workforce increased in these years from 175 to over 500. The factory closed nevertheless in the eighties.
