The story
The Caressa & Français firm carried on the tradition established by Nicolas Lupot in 1796 through several generations of violin makers including Auguste Sébastien Bernardel, Gustave Bernardel, Ernest Auguste Bernardel, Eugène Gand, and Émile Français (father of Jacques Français).
Albert Caressa served his apprenticeship under Gand-Bernardel in Paris. In 1901, when Gustave Bernardel retired, Caressa became the head of Gand et Bernardel. Together with Henri Français (who also worked for the same firm) as a partner/associate, they ran the firm under the name of Caressa et Français until 1920, at which point Henri Français retired.
The House of Caressa was eventually taken over by Emile Français (son of Henri Français) in 1938.
The Caressa & Français firm amassed an important collection of recognized instruments (of the violin family) which included Antonio Stradivarius, Giuseppe Guarneri, Domenico Montagnana, Sanctus Serafin, Lorenzo Storioni, the Rugeri family, Joannes Baptista Guadagnini, Nicolas Lupot, and J. B. Vuillume as well as an important fine bow collection including bows by François Tourte, Dominique Peccatte, Jean Pierre Marie Persois and many others.
Like many of the great Parisian violin firms, Caressa & Français sold bows under its name (branded Caressa & Français).
These bows were made by the great makers of the time including Victor Fétique and Claude Thomassin among others.
From Wikipedia’s article on Caressa & Français, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3