Set of 8 Art Nouveau Belle Epoque Trade Cards, French

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A series of early trade cards, in excellent condition, brought in recently by one of the great-great grandchildren of the … Read more A series of early trade cards, in excellent condition, brought in recently by one of the great-great grandchildren of the original Lefèvre-Utile family. Exquisite in every way, these cards are exceptional pieces of Belle Époque ephemera.

Lefèvre-Utile was founded in Nantes, France, in 1846 by Jean-Romain Lefèvre and his business partner and wife, Pauline-Isabelle Utile. Their initials (LU) were first used by Alfons Mucha for an 1897 calendar ad for the Lefèvre-Utile Biscuit Co. That same year the company hired Firmin Bouisset to create a poster for their rectangular-shaped crested biscuits . Bouisset created Petit Écolier ("the Little Schoolboy") which also incorporated the LU initials. Bouisset's poster was used extensively and the image was embossed on the company's Petit Beurre line of biscuits. Within a few years, the success of the logo resulted in the company becoming known as LU. (Notwithstanding the humble beginnings of LU, the company, now owned by a large multi-national, sells in excess of $2 billion USD every year - that's a whole lot of cookies!)

Set features young women from various Brittany tows, and includes: Jeune Fille de Locminé, Jeune Fille d'Ouessant, Jeune Fille de Paimpol, Jeune Fille des environs de lorient, Jeune Fille de Ploaré, Quiberon, Jeune Fille de L'ile de Sein, Mairée de Quimper.

A rare find, with a perfect provenance. For serious collectors or those who appreciate classic Art Nouveau style. See less