It's somewhat hard to track down the origins of the company. Some sources suggest Jean-Baptiste Carpentier (J.B. Carpentier) manufactured cameras starting 1860 or 1865. His know address was 16 bis, rue Gasparin in Lyon, France.

In 1898 the company name was changed to Drepierre & Wayant. Shortly thereafter, between 1902 and 1906, it became J. Wayant. In 1911 the name changed again, and most likely Paul Maitrejean was a sole proprietor, reselling other cameras, until 1913. The traces of the photography business are lost after this year. This manufacturer is not related to Jules Carpentier.