salts for glassware and ceramics, and also produced laboratory reagents. In the 1890s Poulenc Frères produced fine inorganic iodides and bromides for medical use, pure chemicals such as lithium, chromium and molybdenum for scientific research and chemicals such as potassium bromide for photography. The company was the leading supplier of fine chemicals to pharmacists and researchers, and the leader source of photographic supplies. However, it did not manufacture most of these goods. The company expanded by producing colors for glass and ceramics. Camille Poulenc, who had been born in Paris in 1864, was the youngest child of Etienne and Pauline. He was educated by the Brothers of the Christian Schools of Passy, then dedicated himself to pharmacy and research. He studied under Henri Moissan, who made him first investigate gaseous bodies. He qualified as a pharmacist in 1891 and a doctor of science in 1893. He then joined the family company. After Camille joined, the company opened a research laboratory to produce pure and rigorously controlled mineral salts. He added a scientific library to the laboratory. Camille became interested in radium in 1900 and met Pierre and Marie Curie, who gave him a sample of the metal so he could study its effects. Camille's most important achievement was to start manufacturing medicines using organic and synthetic chemistry. Établissements Poulenc Frères In 1900 Poulenc Frères became a public limited company, the Établissements Poulenc Frères. The three brothers held about 2/3 of the capital. The company had a capital of 4 million francs and was backed by the Banque privée Lyon-Marseille. In 1900 the Établissements Poulenc Frères occupied several sites including a branch on the rue Vieille-du-Temple in the 3rd arrondissement, a shop on the boulevard Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement, factories in Ivry port and Ivry center and a colorant factory at Montreuil-sous-Bois. The Établissements Poulenc Frères exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1900. A laboratory was opened where experiments on animals could be conducted. The company purchased a large property in Vitry-sur-Seine, and bought a small organic product company in Livron-sur-Drôme. Poulenc Frères began to commercialize photographic film, and then rayon. In 1903 it opened a new establishment on the rue du Quatre-Septembre in Paris dedicated to photography products and materials with a projection room in the basement that could seat 100 people. The company did not try to become a global leader, but did succeed in competition with Swiss