Louis Joseph Cartier ( , ; June 6, 1875 – July 23, 1942) was a French businessman, jeweler and heir to the
Cartier jewelry house. From 1909, he and his brother
Pierre were primarily based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. In 1917, they acquired the
Cartier Building, formerly owned by
Morton Freeman Plant, which became the headquarters of
Cartier in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. He was a resident of
San Sebastian, Spain. He was a member of the
Cartier family.
Early life and education
Cartier was the eldest of four children born to
Alfred and his wife Amélie Alice (née Griffeuille) Cartier. His grandfather
Louis-François Cartier founded the house in 1847, and his father had been in the management of the company since 1874, and was primarily interested to expand the business internationally.
Louis Cartier was instrumental in expanding Cartier's design aesthetic by incorporating influences from Islamic art, which he admired during his extensive travels. His innovative use of geometric shapes, vibrant colors, and Eastern artistic elements became a defining feature of Cartier’s work in the early 20th century, reflecting a unique blend of Eastern and Western design traditions. Cartier’s collaboration with
Charles Jacqueau, who drew on Islamic, Indian, Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese art, further enriched the brand’s style by adding diverse cultural motifs and global artistic influences.
Death
Louis Joseph Cartier died July 23, 1942, aged 67 in
Manhattan, New York
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, U.S.
[New York Death Records]
He was transported back to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and buried on
Cimetière des Gonards in
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
near
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.
Literature
* Francesca Cartier Brickell; ''The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind de Jewelry Empire''; 2019
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cartier, Louis
Cartier
French jewellers
1875 births
1942 deaths