1900s French Belle Epoque Poster, Cachou Lajaunie (Linen Backed)

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An old, superb and rare publicity poster for Cachou Lajaunie, (Recommended for smokers, chauffeurs, cyclists, etc...) in very good condition, … Read more An old, superb and rare publicity poster for Cachou Lajaunie, (Recommended for smokers, chauffeurs, cyclists, etc...) in very good condition, professionally linen-lined and signed by the celebrated poster artist known as Francisco Tamagno (1851-1923) and printed by "B. SIRVEN - Imp. Edit. TOULOUSE - PARIS". Francisco Tamagno was born in Sintra, Portugal, in 1851. He died in Paris in 1923. Originally starting out as a portrait painter, he moved to Paris in the 1880s where he worked as the lead designer for the Camis printing house. He is particularly known for his bicycle poster designs he created for Terrot Cycles.

"The pharmacist, Leon Lajaunie, set up his pharmacy in Toulouse. After developing several invigorating elixirs, he turned to cachou as an aromatic for perfuming the breath whose strong flavor covered smoker's breath... Tamagno shows here, as in his other posters, great technical virtuosity, and faultless artistic sense. A young woman, sporting a jaunty hat decorated with flowers is shown presenting a tin of Lajaunie Cachous... to six gentlemen who are obviously captivated by her. Each of the gentlemen represents a sample of the professions where the Cachous were deemed particularly indispensable, notably: chauffeurs of landaulets..., racing cyclists, magistrates and tobacco vendors." (Health Posters, p. 169)

"Cachou Lajaunie are tiny licorice-based candies still made in Toulouse, France, where they were invented by the pharmacist Leon Lajaunie in 1890. Don't let their size fool you: these candies are extraordinarily strong, a result of the mint extract which is added to the licorice, and are a powerful breath-freshener. The trademark small yellow tin was invented by a clock-maker friend of Lajaunie, who designed it to fit in a watch-pocket."

As a poster dealer, I think it is fascinating to note that this company - Cachou Lajaunie - hired two of the best known poster artist of the times - Tamagno, and later Cappiello - to create posters extolling the virtues of their product. We have both in the gallery and have hung them one next to the other... Fascinating! See less