Spéranza Calo-Séailles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spéranza Calo-Séailles
December 1919 from "Monde Musical"
Born	Elpís Kalogeropoúlou 17 May 1885 Constantinople
Died	18 February 1949 (1949-02-19) (aged 63) Paris
Nationality	Greece
Occupation	Mezzo-soprano
Known for	inventing a type of cement

Spéranza Calo-Séailles, also known by her Greek name Elpís Kalogeropoúlou (Ελπίς Καλογεροπούλου), was a talented woman from Greece. Born on May 17, 1885, and passing away on February 18, 1949, she was many things: a painter, an inventor, and an opera singer. While many knew her for her beautiful singing and art, she also created something special: a unique type of decorative concrete called Lap.

Spéranza's Life Story

A publicity photo of Spéranza Calo-Séailles from 1913.

An artwork created by Spéranza Calo-Séailles.

Spéranza Calo-Séailles was born in a city called Constantinople in 1885. Her birth name was Elpís Kalogeropoúlou. She first became famous as a mezzo-soprano, which is a type of opera singer with a voice range between a soprano and a contralto. Her amazing voice helped her find someone who wanted to support her artistic journey.

Inventing "Lap" Concrete

In 1923, Spéranza invented a new kind of decorative concrete. She applied for a special document called a patent in June 1923. A patent protects an invention, so others can't copy it easily. This new material was named Lap. Spéranza worked with her husband, who was a professor at the Sorbonne University, to develop her invention even further.

A sign for "The Lap Society" which was a company using Spéranza's invention.

In 1929, her special Lap material was used to build and decorate the Halles de Boulongrin [fr] in Reims, France. This building was a market hall. When the building was updated in 2012, the Lap panels were replaced with a different material.

Working with Tsuguharu Foujita

In 1930, Spéranza worked with a famous artist named Tsuguharu Foujita. They created art together using her Lap material. Foujita even painted a portrait of Spéranza. He also made several artworks using Lap at the company's main office in Antony, France.

Spéranza Calo-Séailles passed away in Paris in 1949.