The cement tile manufacturing process was perfected in France in
the mid-19th Century when the hydraulic press was introduced to
production, yielding a more consistent and durable product
compared to prior generations. The Lafarge Company, with their
close proximity to one of the first Portland cement factories in
Avignon, is credited with developing the technique that is still
practiced today. Throughout the late 1800s, the medium’s
popularity expanded throughout Europe and northern Africa, as
well as to former French, English, and Spanish colonies,
including India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Asia, Cuba, Mexico,
and the Americas. Cuba quickly became a leading force- in 1884
they were the first Latin American country to manufacture cement
tile, and by the early 1900s more than 30 operations thrived in
Havana alone. Traditionally patterned cement tiles were
centralized in public living areas, providing a decorative
function similar to that of an area rug. Design elements
typically included a patterned interior,