In 1881, Louis-Étienne Naton-Demonceaux, a merchant from Thizy, launched a bold project: to set up a roofing factory in Marnand (now part of Thizy-les-Bourgs).
Betting on the one hand on the textile boom in Beaujolais and, on the other, on the decline of the vineyards in the south of France affected by phylloxera, he planted two hectares of vines near the factory to take advantage of these two flourishing activities.
In 1899, the heirs of Louis-Étienne Naton-Demonceaux joined forces with local industrialists to create a limited company: La Manufacture de Couvertures et Molletons de Thizy (MCM). Louis Boizet took over the management and gradually became the sole owner.
For three generations, the Manufacture was run, from father to son, by the Boizet family, originally from the region. Louis (1876-1923) started out as a commercial clerk, before becoming director and managing director. Claude, known as Eugène (1900-1990), took over as chairman and managing director in 1940. Finally, Jean-Louis (1931-2005) ran the plant until its closure in 1981. These owners, who were also involved in the life of their local communities, all held political office in Marnand.
In its early days, Manufacture, a medium-sized company,
produced grisons: blankets made from textile waste and mainly exported to the colonies.
In 1914, it registered the brand name Le Chameau, recognisable by its very realistic logo, which added an oriental touch to these products sold mainly in North Africa. In 1935, the company turned to the metropolitan market with mid-range woollen blankets, before developing luxury models in the 1950s. The cotton of the first blankets was replaced by more noble fibres (alpaca, camel hair) and then by synthetic fibres. The logo also evolved towards a more refined style, adapted to the tastes of French consumers.
The only blanket factory in Marnand and Thizy, the Manufacture made a name for itself in the inter-war years with its top-quality products. As well as blankets, it also made fleeces, card mats, curtains mosquito nets, mufflers, etc. In its most prosperous years, the company had up to 150 workers and produced almost 1,200 blankets a day. Millions of models were produced over the decades, but the Ecomuseum's collections now only contain a limited number of examples, which testify to the diversity of the models offered by the Manufacture.
Like many family textile businesses at the time, the Manufacture was forced to close its doors in 1981. Due to the textile crisis, under-investment and ageing equipment, the company was placed in receivership by the Tarare Commercial Court in 1980, before finally liquidating its assets and ceasing trading. A few takeover projects emerged, but none were successful, and the Manufacture's premises eventually became the property of the commune of Marnand.
The site was taken over by the Patrimoines Haut-Beaujolais association in 1994. This association, founded in 1988, aims to promote the cultural, natural and industrial heritage of the region. Witnessing the disappearance of local industry and aware of its importance, it collects emblematic objects as well as numerous archives. In 1998, the association decided to create an eco-museum dedicated to textile know-how: the workshops became exhibition spaces and the shops became storage areas. Although textiles are an important part of the region's history, they are not the only focus of the association, which is involved in all areas of Haut-Beaujolais heritage. The Écomusée closed in 2013 for safety reasons.
After major conservation work carried out in 2014 and 2015 by the municipality of Thizy-les-Bourgs, the Communauté d'agglomération de l'Ouest Rhodanien took over ownership of the premises and collections in 2016 and launched a major project to transform into a modern regional museum.
Following validation of the scientific and cultural project by the Ministry of Culture in 2019, and work to safeguard the industrial chimney in 2020, the renovation project is now entering its active phase.
The project will involve the creation of over 2,000 m2 :
- a reception area with a shop
- a permanent exhibition trail comprising three sections: the manufacturing mountain, the roofing factory and its by-products, and the Thizy factory.
- a temporary exhibition room
- a Micro-Folie ;
- a Fablab area;
- a visible stock of old machines;
- an educational room for groups.
La Manufacture du Haut-Beaujolais opened its doors to the public on 20 September 2025, the European Heritage Day.
With modern, attractive spaces for all kinds of visitors, the permanent tour presents our collections, both historic and contemporary. It is equipped with audio-visual and sound systems, and can also be played with.
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