Glassmaker. Born Rene Jules Lalique in the village of Ay in the Champagne district of France. He apprenticed with the Parisian Jeweler Louis Aucoq in 1876. Between 1878 and 1880 he attended Sydenham Art College in London. He married Augustine-Alice in July 1902 and opened a new business. By 1891 he has created jewelry for his first important patron, Sarah Bernhardt. By 1893 he began experimenting with glass. Between 1895 and 1905, he executed almost 150 important works for his biggest patron, Calouste Gubenkian. In 1900 at the Universal Exhibition Paris, he exhibited Art Nouveau Jewelry and was awarded Legion of Honor for his efforts. In 1907 he designed perfume labels for Francois Coty and with perfume bottles the following year. In 1913 he opened a glassworks factory at Combs-La-Ville, but during World War I, the factory was forced to close. The construction of a new factory was begun in Wingen-sur-Moder, in the Alsace region. In 1921 it was completed, and remains the factory that produces Lalique crystal today. At the 1925 Paris Exposition Lalique’s pavilion displayed centerpieces and a magnificent glass fountain forty five feet in height. During the early 1930’s he contributed design work in several churches, and significant design work on the Imperial Palace of Prince Asaka in Tokyo, Japan. The onset of the Second World War led to the shut down Lalique’s production and business. In his last years, rheumatism deformed his hands, and prevented him even from drawing. He died quietly in his home in Paris three days before VE Day, and was buried in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris. (bio by: Iola)