Indeed, cantilevers are an old, some would say outdated, design. Most top-class French randonneur bikes in the 1940s used them because of light weight, elegance and stopping power. Herse had his own, super-light design. Mafacs were used by Routens and others. Other designs were available. The Mafac Racer center-pull brake changed all that. The Racer offered the same braking power, with better modulation. The arms didn't stick out to the sides, so they weren't vulnerable in crashes. With brazed-on pivots, the Racers are a most elegant design. For tandems, the even-longer-reach Raids were popular. Only cyclocross bikes and a few odd bikes retained cantilevers. All other French brake manufacturers seem to have disappeared when the Mafac Racer came along in the mid-1950s. Even in Britain, it seems to have been standard spec on bikes like the Thanets.
Jan Heine, Seattle