The document describes the process of sardine canning in France in the early 20th century. Once delivered to the factory by fishermen, sardines are gutted, sorted by size, brined, washed, arranged to dry, fried, drained of oil, packed into tin cans with olive or peanut oil, sealed, boiled in water, cooled, cleaned, and packed into crates for distribution. The French preferred olive oil but peanut oil was also used to appeal to less expensive international markets.
3. Once the fishermen deliver the sardines to the factory, we…
• quickly remove the heads and intestines of the sardines
• sort the sardines by size
• soak the sardines in strong brine for around an hour
• place the sardines in small baskets and wash them in fresh or salt water for a few seconds
• arrange the sardines one by one in wire baskets or trays so that they can dry outdoors for about an hour
• fry the sardines for about two minutes, depending on the size of the fish
• set aside the sardines in order to drain any surplus oil
• pack the sardines into tin cans
• add olive oil or peanut oil
• seal the cans
• immerse the sealed cans in boiling water for several hours
• wait for the cans to cool
• use sawdust to clean the cans
• put the finished products into crates
The French preferred to pack the sardines in olive oil, but in order to sell to a larger market , which included those
Americans who wanted a less expensive product, peanut oil was also used (imported from India, Senegal, and other parts
of Africa).
4. Concarneau, on enlève les têtes des sardines : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]
Date d'édition : 1913
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b69230559/f1.item
5. “Concarneau, la salaison des sardines” [photographie de
presse] / [Agence Rol]
Date d'édition : 1913
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6923067h/f1.item
6. Concarneau, lavage des sardines : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol] Agence photographique
Date d'édition : 1913
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6923049k/f1.item
7. Concarneau, séchage des sardines : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]
Date d'édition : 1913
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b69230485/f1.item
8. Femmes mettant leurs sardines à sécher dans une conserverie de Quiberon, Morbihan, France
Date?
Public Domain in the United States
Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACP_Quiberon_s%C3%A9chage_sardines.jpg
9. Yard of a Large Cannery Showing Sardines Drying on Grills
1902
Public Domain in the United States
Wikimedia Commons
University of Washington
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FMIB_40640_Yard_of_a_Large_Cannery_Showing_Sardines_Drying_on_Grills.jpeg
10. Frying sardines in oil; Sardine industry; Fishery processing; Women fish trade workers
1902
Public Domain in the United States
Wikimedia Commons
University of Washington
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FMIB_40638_Frying_Sardines_in_Oil.jpeg
11. Concarneau, soudage des boîtes de sardines : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol] Agence photographique
Date d'édition : 1913
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6923063v/f1.item
12. Concarneau, les enfants mettent en caisse les boîtes de sardines : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]
Date d'édition : 1913
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6923051n/f1.item
13.
14. Grève des sardinières de Douarnenez (Finistère), 1924 : « un groupe de grévistes femmes »
Year of publication: 1924
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
CEDIAS-Musée social, Paris
http://cediasbibli.org/opac/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=75902
15. Sardine Boat Fishing
1902
Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons
University of Washington
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FMIB_40629_Sardine_Boat_Fishing.jpeg
16. Carte postale, les bateaux sardiniers à l'entrée du port, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, département de la Vendée, en France. Collection
Boutain, no 158, Croix-de-Vie.
Date (?)
Public Domain in the United States
Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACPA_Boutain_sardiniers_entree_port.jpg
17. Carl Moser (1873-1939)
Original Title: Strickende Bretonin
Also known as: Strickende Frau mit Booten
1926
Wood Engraving
Public Domain in the United States
Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACarl_Moser_Strickende_Frau_mit_Booten.jpg
18. Le retour de la pêche des bateaux sardiniers aux quais du Vieux Port. La Rochelle, Charente Maritime, France.
Photographie prise avant 1908.
Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Rochelle_-_Les_quais_du_Vieux_Port_au_retour_de_la_p%C3%AAche_des_sardiniers.jpg
19. Amédée Joyau (1872-1913)
Le Soir : Dundees et sardiniers, les Sables
d'Olonne (4ème état ?) [Evening: Small Sailing
Boats and Sardine Fishing Boats]
1905
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica
Institut national d’histoire de l’art, Paris
http://bibliotheque-
numerique.inha.fr/collection/14545-le-soir-
dundees-et-sardiniers-les-sables-d-olo/
Permalink:
http://www.purl.org/yoolib/inha/14598
20. Paul Signac (1863–1935)
Le Sardinier, Locmalo
(Les Tourelles)
1922
Public Domain in the
United States
Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikime
dia.org/wiki/File%3APaul
_Signac_-
_Le_Sardinier%2C_Locm
alo_(1922).jpg
21. Maxime Maufra (1861-1918)
Sardiniers (sardine fishing boats)
1909
Public Domain in the United States
Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fishing-sardine-boat-1909.jpg
22.
23. Cazeils, Nelson and Fanny Fennec. Il y a un siècle—Les Femmes et la mer. Rennes: Ouest-France, 2003.
Femmes égalité de 1789 à nos jours. Paris : Messidor, 1989.
Le Boulanger, Jean-Michel. Douarnenez : histoire d'une ville. Quimper: Palantines, 2000.
McMichael, Philip, ed. Food and Agrarian Orders in the World-Economy. Connecticut: Greenwood
Publishing Group, 1995.
Michel, Claude. (2007). Penn Sardin. On Belle Angèle de Pont-Aven. (CD).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50VKs3g6DqQ
Smith, Hugh M. (US Commission of Fish and Fisheries). “The French Sardine Industry.” Popular
Science Monthly Oct. 1901: 542-556.
Further Reading:
Bertin, François. Penn Sardin, deux siècles de pêche à la sardine. Rennes: Ouest-France, 2001.
Notas del editor
was able to display his works at the Paris Salon of 1886
