Mitchell Reel Forum

Hello Mates ,

Here a picture of the Mitchell building, Cluses 1968. regards Dries

Hey Dries,

I thought I had seen all pictures of the original Mitchell factory. You never cease to amaze me my friend!

Kind regards,
Wallace

Dries,
I absolutely love seeing this photo for the first time. Thank so much for posting it.
Kind Regards,
Bill

Dries,
WOW!! Many thanks for posting.

Regards,
Ted Lanham

Hello Mates,

Here a Mitchell ''roadsign''or board just outside of Cluses I guess . regards Dries

Dries,
Thank you again!!
I have never seen this photograph before and it is a great pleasure to be able to see it.

For those of us who do not know French, and who forgot everything they learned about it in school, the translation, as per google, is: "Mitchell reels World class. Sport fishing technical perfection."
Kind Regards,
Bill

Hello mates,

Here an old picture of the Mitchell reel that was painted on their trucks .
I think it,s a Renault
maybe Christian can share a picture of that Renault truck . regards Dries

Dries, Another great photo, way cool!
Thanks for sharing

Hello,
Attached is the photo of the Mitchell advertising truck.
Text reads "Smallest to Biggest Equip you Mitchell" on the side of the truck.
So on the advertisement the two types of reels of the time
I had already posted this photo on the old MRM site.
I think this truck was part of the advertising caravan for a French cycling race.
CL
PS : Photo from a K7 Video "Mitchell's Universe" from the early 1990s
I took the picture while the K7 was unrolling to avoid flickering when you turn off. Average photo quality

Still in Cluses,
Attached photos of a small Mitchell booklet from 1955.
Mitchell ad on the back of the small booklet
Text "In our streams trout abounds. On site you will equip yourself with the famous Mitchell spinning reel, born in Cluses, built at the Carpano & Pons Establishments"
Booklet published by the Syndicat d'Initiative de Cluses, with in introduction a text of thanks to the advertisers without whom this little booklet could not have been published.
Also attaches the map of the surroundings of Cluses where you can find different towns that are also part of Mitchell's history.
In this small booklet there is an advertisement for Ets Techla-Delle although they are not located in this region but in another French department, Le Territoire de Belfort. Techla is the foundry that produced many component parts of Mitchell reels.
In this little booklet, three advertisements for French reel manufacturers installed in Cluses: Bretton, SAP, Sup-Matic
CL

Bonjour Christian,

Merci beaucoup ! Thanks for sharing

I have seen these pictures before ..
Albatros had the same brand (volkswagen) truck
I have to find a picture of it .

What kind of advertising truck did Garcia have ?

regards Dries

Hello Mates, I thought you will appreciate these photographs. Anyone know a date for each of these? Regards, Wallace

Ugh. No eye protection

beautiful material, beautiful pictures thanks to all friends!
I haven't found a way to display my collection yet!
I'd like to set it up in one of those Mitchell pickup trucks
I will not find it on ebay.

Hello,
Two other photos of the trucks and coaches (they were used for people who did not live in Cluses)
Looks
CL

Hello,
Herewith some photos accompanying the text published in a French fishery review in December 1966: "Le 10 000 000 Michell est un 1966"
Looks,
CL The tutelary factory directly on the Arve stream Very modern factories and workshops of the Carpano & Pons Group in the countryside of Cluses Plastic Injection Machine and Reel Body Die Casting Machine Electro-Static Paint Transfer Machine and Conveyor
Assembly line conveyor belt

Conveyor Belt Assembly Line and Control

Simplex,
I love these pictures. Thanks so much for posting.

Ted Lanham

Thanks Christian and Wallace for posting these pictures
This is how we build the ''new'' Mitchell reel museum

best regards from the low land

Dries

Hello Dries and all Mitchell mates, I was just thinking the same thing Dries. We all have so much experience that our new site is growing bigger and better than before. I've always kept any and all images I could find or in most cases, just ran across. I find the evolution of the Carpano & Pons property fascinating. I have some prints made from artist paintings dating back to the early 1800s I'll be sharing. Here's a couple of images of the Mitchell Cluses factory at the original Carpano & Pons facilities. Please enjoy, Wallace

Hi Mates,

Very interesting, engaging. Really wonderful to see contributions from maestros Dries, Christian, and Wallace all in one thread.

So, I wondered what does it look like nowadays? Who took over the buildings? If one wanted to visit, where would one go?

Hopefully the Google Maps link below works - if not, copy/paste it. (Wallace, Respectfully, the grey building in the circa 90's photo does not appear to be a parking structure.)

John

https://www.google.com/maps/@46.0556472 ... 312!8i6656

Hello to all,

Great thread here. Absolutely cool to see so many vintage photos regarding Cluses and Mitchell. I really want to think that the 300 reel on the roof of the van actually spins.

Very cool!

Hi Mates,

So, I’m trying to figure out all these locations.

The image Dries started this thread with has been referred to as the Messy location. I take that to be the rue de Messy in Cluses. Mitchell Sports had a 30 rue de Messy address. If I have that street address correct, sadly it appears that building has been replaced. Also, if rue de Messy is correct, that means the building is south of the Arve.

The images Wallace has shown have been referred to as the village-center location, which is north of the Arve.

Is the modern factory that Christian showed the large Thyez factory (which was just a couple of kilometers northwest of village-center Cluses)? With multiple slanted roofs, it does look like it.

The images below were taken from a Dec-2011/Jan-2012 Exhibition. Link to its PDF is below. Mitchell is covered on pages 6-9, page 9 being especially interesting showing the production line.

https://www.musee.2ccam.fr/wp-content/u ... et-mhd.pdf

First, Messy 1955.

Second, Thyez 1973.

John

Very nice pictures John,
Thanks for posting

best regards

Dries

Hi Everyone,

SIMPLEX has posted something that gives an insight into the finish used on Mitchell reels, in his first post of photos from 13 Aug, in the bottom right corner, they show a conveyor loaded with Mitchells on the way for paint. It states that they used Electrostatic Paint System.

The Canadian Forces were just starting to use electrostatic finishes in the 1980s at one unit in Trenton Ontario. I was only given a tour when I was there, I worked on the South side of the base. (There are 2 different Postings in Trenton). It would appear that Mitchell was progressive in adopting technology.

Electrostatic Paint process charges the paint with a negative charge and the object being painted with a positive charge. When the spray touches the target object, it is drawn into every little recess and gives uniform coverage. Gang spray heads are mounted above, below and on the sides, set up to give optimum coverage. They are stationary, the items being painted are moved through them. Sometimes there will be a moveable array of spray heads at the end which pass across with the conveyor being stopped. Here in HMC Dockyard we are using the same principal to apply Powder Paint System. this is Baked after paint application to form a really durable coating. It also does away with harmful, toxic Di-isocyanate emissions that are the product of Polyurethane Based Paints.

I am not sure when Christian"s photo was taken, but it would be an early example of automated paint line operation. I thank him for posting it.

Best to you all

Glen

Glen and Christian,

Electrostatic painting is an excellent point.

I used to powder coat brass spoon lures and brass spinner blades with an electrostatic gun. Glen, as you said, it provided excellent, uniform coverage - notably at edges (where sprayed lacquer would often recede, leaving metal somewhat exposed). The paint skin was comparatively thin. I had attributed these advantages to the powder paint. But thinking about it, it could have been due to the electrostatic process. Glen, you would know.

Do we know if any heat curing was done at Mitchell?

John

Hi Mates,

I need to correct what I had written earlier, above in this thread. (I had forgotten I had rotated the Google Map during Streetview.) Correction:

… Also, if rue de Messy is correct, that means the building is west of the Arve.

The images Wallace has shown have been referred to as the village-center location, which is east of the Arve.

For me, one of the advantages of mapping has been clarity of where Musée de l’horlogerie et du décolletage (The Clockmaking and Screwcutting Museum) is. All related photos I had viewed showed it past a rock bridge on the Arve, nestled between trees and maybe some mountain – without any other buildings showing. This made me wonder whether it was in some really rural/remote location. But no, as might be expected from other sources, it is next to the original Carpano & Pons watch school/factory (the tutelary factory, as Christian aptly terms it).

John

John,

I believe you are correct, the electrostatic should provide a uniform thickness.

I have been out of the Aircraft Refinisher trade for 30 years, I have no real experience with either powder paint nor electrostatic process. Therefore my opinion is speculation.

I am very pleased to see this thread and all the wonderful pictures of the Mitchell facilities and the manufacturing processes. Thank you, each on that has posted this valuable information.

Un pour tous, tous pour un.

Glen

Hi Glen,

Well, please excuse my misunderstanding of your statement:

Here in HMC Dockyard we are using the same principal to apply Powder Paint System.

John

Hi Mates,

So, Mitchell had a thing for putting giant reels on roofs. (It was a good thing.) I can’t tell whether this one was 2- or 3-dimensional – I’m hoping it was 3D. No telephoto shots of it?

Where did it go? Please tell me it’s in someone’s barn or airplane hangar (it’s way too big to top a VW Kombi). You just don’t get to hear about these things.

John

Sorry John,

I am a tool crib operator. One of the shops my crib serves is the paint shop, so my knowledge of the process is from talking with the workers there.

In looking in the photos, at the racks mounting reels going for paint, it is difficult to tell how long they are. Ovens for paint baking process are generally not very long, so it isn't easy to guess whether this was part of the process.

So many jobs were lost here with the demise of these great reels. But Mitchell still adopted automated processes that required less people.

All the best

Glen

Hello,
Photo of the Messy district in Cluses, district where Mitchell had a factory
Messy is the first of the outlying districts of Cluses. It emerged from the ground after 1945. It was very sparsely populated (53 inhabitants in 1936) but the arrival of industries and the need for labor led to the construction of housing for workers,
Companies have settled in this area including Mitchell,
Best regards,
Hello John,
On the picture you posted of the Mitchell factory, the car that is seen is a Citroën DS 19 car produced from 1955
Christian

Hello,

Photos from another 1966 fishing magazine on the 10,000,000 Mitchell.
The first two of the workshops, the last of the visitors passing from one building to another.
To our in the text, the journalist specifies that some workshops were 100 meters long and 80 to 100 meters wide !!.
He also specifies that the staff is young, the average age of the 2,000 workers is 33 years old. Also indicated that the factory worked day and night shifts.
So much for today,
Best regards
CL
PS: the car on the right on the 3rd photo is a Renault 4CV,, I drove this type of car in 1964, the year I opted for my driving license

Hi Christian,

Thanks so much for clarifying the Messy factory. Its location was in the Messy district outside Cluses, not rue de Messy in Cluses, if I correctly understand what you wrote.

Thanks also for the additional history and wonderful pictures.

John

Bonsoir Christian,

Among the automobiles, I am sure I see a Citroen 2CV (deux chevaux) and I believe one or two Simcas, on the left front, n'est pas?

My neighbour in Ontario in the early 1960s owned a Renault Dauphine. That was a really good car. It was front wheel drive (traction avant) with the gear shift lever in the center of the dash. That was a piece of tubing bent up 90 degrees at the dash and passing through and over the top of the engine to engage the transmission linkage in front of the motor. There was a plastic knob on this shift lever. I seem to recall that the car also had a sun roof.

These photos are really informative. Thanks again

Glen

Hi Christian,

I now realize your aerial photo of the Messy district (quartier) shows the Mitchell factory (windows and neighboring house match).

Behind the factory is a river, presumably the Arve? So perhaps the factory does have a rue de Messy street address?

Fascinating.

John

Hello John,

Rue de Messy crosses the Messy district well.
Attached is a plan of part of this district where there are still two factories: Somfy and Kongsberg Automotive (created in 1918, the former Clusienne watchmaking company turned to the automotive sector in the 1950s before come under the bosom of the Norwegian group Kongsberg Automotive in 2008).
On this map we can clearly see that the rue de Messy is close to these two factories.
Glenn in addition on the photo there is a Citroën Ami 6
Best regards,
Christian

Hi Christian,

I wasn't familiar with the Ami 6, I looked it up in Wikipedia. It is between the Simca on the left and the 2CV, I took it for another Simca.

Merci

Glen

Hi Christian and Mates,

I think the current apartment building at 30 rue de Messy very likely was the Mitchell factory (see Google Streetview link below). Yes, the windows and balconies are different. But a central building flanked by a much larger building as the factory was, is too much of a coincidence.

Also, 30 rue de Messy is an address Mitchell had on some patents.

John

https://www.google.com/maps/place/30+Ru ... d6.5665036

P.S. Somfy (Société d'Outillage et de Mécanique de Faucigny), a former division of Mitchell, now occupies the Place du Crétet Mitchell (Carpano & Pons) factory.

https://patrimoine.auvergnerhonealpes.f ... 9a46aea335

WOW!!!! Simply blown away by these photos. Where to start to ask questions??? Just back from vacation that gave my Mitchells a workout. Main question would be the picture with all the boxed reels and such as the gentleman is standing in front of them. What year do you suppose it was taken??
KIm

Hey Kim,

Yes, Christian has some really marvelous contributions of images and history from French fishing magazines.

The image you are referring to (if I understand correctly) I posted. It’s my favorite of that set! (It’s kind of like Mitchell heaven – haha.) Were I a Mitchell collector I would send that one to my 14 x 17” printer for a wall mount.

That image was taken from a PDF of Exposition du 2 Déc. 2011 au 31 Jan. 2012 les Moulinets de Pêche de la Vallée de l’Arve: un Loisir, une Industrie posted online by Musée de l'Horlogerie et du Décolletage de Cluse.

Unfortunately, the Museum specifies neither date nor factory. Given the window view from ***08.jpg (above in this thread), my wild guess is that this production line series of photos is from the rue de Messy factory. The neighboring buildings do not seem to fit with the Place du Crétet or Thiez factories.

If anyone can help, please do.

John

Let me revise my wild guessing (that I just did above) to the Thiez factory because of the slanted ceiling in ***02.jpg and the large building in the window view of ***09.jpg .

Just above the head of the gentleman sitting at the counter, is that a French-market rod-and-reel set? If so, could its date narrow the date of the photo?

Over the guys right shoulder appears to be the 2 piece beige plastic box with the "blown up " fish image. A little more left and above is the cardboard version of that. Years of manufacture?? Above his head and to the right reel & pole kit?? On the counter to our right Platil line display. To our left all the way to almost the end, 8 white boxes with writing, what word is written on the end of the box?? Reel or line?? Lastly, old style scale in back to weigh outgoing parcels with long packages leaning on counter. OK, now lastly, what is on display on counter to the front of the guy to his left. Simply amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kim

Kim,
Same picture, the man's right side, up a couple shelves are reels with this wrapping. Mine like those had a SN 1 369589, ie 1956.
Ted Lanham

Hello John,

Leafing through my binders with the documents sent to fishing merchants, I found two documents that show what you indicate in the photo
It is an individual advertising display for the complete Mitchell Diffusion equipment, in this case a set comprising a Mitchell 304, a rod and various objects
On the documents the price is indicated in NF (New Franc). This price is the selling price to merchants and not to the public
The NF was instituted in France on January 1, 1960 to replace the Franc (due to inflation). For a while the two currencies will coexist for the display of prices but the NF designation will definitively disappear at the beginning of 1963,
So this photo, in my opinion, is from the very beginning of the 1960s, between 1960 and 1962
On the photo we also see on the front of the counter a Mitchell 314 which seems to me to be in the first version box (blue), I have this new reel in its box with a label (on the PU) marked 4500 with the stamp and a comma between 45 and 00 and NF written manually in red pen.
These are just guesses based on my documents, not a certainty,
Best regards,
CL

Christian,

Wow! Fantastic work!

Thank you.

John

Hello,
Another document from the 1962 Mitchell catalog: after sales service with two photos
It is specified that the spare parts would be dispatched within 24 hours and that the repairs will be carried out as quickly as possible (48 hours on average),
Best regards,
CL