Antique French Au Bon Marche Paris Window Trade Card Mother Child c1900 For Sale

Antique French Au Bon Marche Paris Window Trade Card Mother Child c1900

Description:

A beautiful and unusual antique French advertising trade card produced for the celebrated Au Bon Marché department store in Paris, dating to approximately 1895–1905.

This charming chromolithographed card measures approximately 6 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide when closed.

Unlike an ordinary flat trade card, this example features an ingenious folded construction with a cutout window that opens onto the next portion of the illustration. The card opens to reveal a wonderful panoramic scene of fashionable Parisian shoppers outside the famous department store.

The colorful illustration depicts an elegantly dressed mother and her young daughter, both wearing elaborate turn-of-the-century hats and fashionable clothing. The mother wears a beautiful pale green dress with floral accents and carries an Au Bon Marché hatbox, while the little girl wears a coordinating pale blue-green outfit.

Behind them, fashionable ladies stroll along the busy Parisian sidewalk, and a harnessed horse waits beside the grand department store building. The architectural details, storefront awnings, elegant fashions, and bustling street scene beautifully capture the atmosphere of Paris around 1900.

When folded, the reverse presents another delightful illustration of the mother and daughter entering the store, where a formally dressed gentleman stands ready to assist them. The beautifully rendered wooden doorway and ornamental architectural details add to the charm.

The back of the card features an advertisement for:

AU BON MARCHÉ

MAISON ARISTIDE BOUCICAUT

PARIS

It includes an illustration of the enormous department store complex and advertising text in both French and English, promoting the store’s reputation for reliable merchandise sold at a minimum profit.

Au Bon Marché was one of the most celebrated department stores in Paris and a pioneer of modern retailing. The company was particularly well known for distributing beautifully illustrated advertising cards, many featuring ingenious paper constructions and elaborate chromolithography.

This example is especially appealing for its lovely original colors, fashionable Edwardian-era imagery, elaborate folded window construction, and wonderful depiction of Parisian shopping culture.

The design is not a three-dimensional pop-up. Rather, its carefully constructed window and folding panels create a layered view that reveals the next part of the illustration.

A wonderful antique advertising collectible for enthusiasts of French ephemera, early department stores, fashion history, paper novelties, and turn-of-the-century Paris.

Condition:

Very nice antique condition overall, with beautiful surviving colors and pleasing detail. There is some expected age-related handling wear, minor soiling, and light wear along the folds and edges. A small old pencil notation appears on the reverse. The folding construction and cutout window remain present.

A particularly charming and decorative piece of antique French advertising history.

Please review all photographs carefully as they are part of the description.

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