Very interesting advertising cardboard offered by the "À la Ville de Strasbourg" Department Stores, located at 53 & 55 Avenue d'Italie in Paris. The illustrated scene, dated 1893 within the decor itself, depicts a joyful gathering of costumed characters and soldiers in a festive year-end atmosphere. The iconography is typical of illustrated Belle Époque advertising, blending humor, Parisian elegance, and popular entertainment. The printed verso confirms its function as an advertising gift distributed by the store to its clientele. The presence of the date integrated into the illustration provides a particularly reliable dating element.
✦ Provenance: Paris, "À la Ville de Strasbourg" Department Stores ✦ Estimated period: 1893 ✦ Dimensions: approx. 37 x 27 cm ✦ Material: lithographed cardboard ✦ Condition: signs of wear, dirt, abrasions, foxing, general discoloration, small losses at corners and edges, old hanging hole, but main subject well preserved and perfectly identifiable; complete printed verso
Parisian advertising document from the Belle Époque illustrating the world of department stores at the end of the 19th century, appreciated as much for its historical interest as for its decorative charm.
