▁that ▁had ▁been ▁designed ▁by ▁Hi pp oly te ▁August e ▁Mar in oni ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁and ▁installed ▁at ▁the ▁Journal ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 . ▁ ▁Despite ▁its ▁apparent ▁success es , ▁the ▁M illa ud ▁family ▁found ▁themselves ▁in ▁financial ▁difficulties ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁sold ▁their ▁interests ▁in ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁head ed ▁by ▁É mile ▁de ▁Gir ardin . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁Mar in oni ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Journal , ▁succeed ing ▁Gir ardin . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁he ▁introduced ▁the ▁Supp lé ment ▁illustr é , ▁a ▁week ly ▁Sunday ▁supp lement ▁that ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁feature ▁color ▁illustr ations . ▁This ▁became ▁so ▁popular ▁that , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁Mar in oni ▁developed ▁a ▁color ▁rot ary ▁press ▁that ▁could ▁print ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁sheets ▁per ▁hour . ▁By ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁one ▁million ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁supp lement ▁were ▁being ▁produced ▁every ▁week ▁and ▁the ▁Journal ▁had ▁a ▁press ▁run ▁of ▁two ▁million ▁copies , ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁which ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁provinces , ▁making ▁it ▁France ' s ▁pre domin ant ▁newspaper . ▁ ▁Later ▁years ▁and ▁decl ine ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁the ▁paper ' s ▁growth ▁was ▁slow ing ▁consider ably . ▁Many ▁of ▁its ▁readers ▁had ▁gone ▁over ▁to ▁Le ▁Pet it