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Collection of approximately 120 vintage advertising blotters from 20th century France
€250Bid from €225
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ProfessionalProduct description
In an era when quill and inkwell were still part of daily life, the blotter was ubiquitous. On desks, in shops, administrations, and schoolchildren's satchels, this simple sheet of absorbent paper quickly became a powerful medium for advertising. Brands then competed with imagination to transform this familiar object into a small advertising poster. This significant collection of approximately 120 old advertising blotters now allows us to explore several decades of this French graphic and commercial history. The oldest examples date back to the early 20th century, while the collection extends notably through the interwar period and the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Food, chocolate, dairy products, coffee, shops, industry, household products, and regional businesses make up a particularly rich and varied set. Major brands still present in collective memory stand alongside businesses that have long since disappeared. La Vache qui rit, Gervais, Lustucru, Cémoï, Aiguebelle, Hutchinson, and Ancel thus appear throughout the pages among many other brands. Each blotter possesses its own language. Sometimes very elaborate illustrations, advertising characters, slogans, old product presentations, typographies, and colors tell the story of advertising's evolution as much as that of consumer habits. Some advertisements still retain the graphic elegance of the turn of the century, while others display all the fantasy and characteristic colors of the post-war period. Regional advertisements add an extra dimension to the collection. Local shops and businesses stand alongside major national brands, preserving the memory of brands, some of which have completely disappeared today. The collection has benefited from remarkable preservation. Despite the sometimes significant age of these documents, the blotters have been carefully preserved in a binder and are, for the most part, in excellent condition. The colors, illustrations, and typographies have retained their full presence. The photographs intentionally showcase only a selection of the blotters within the binder. Many other advertisements thus remain to be discovered throughout the pages, giving this collection that particular pleasure of discovery well known to collectors of old papers. The set includes approximately 120 pieces, a quantity given as an indication, as the collection has not been exhaustively counted piece by piece. This collection is sold exclusively as a complete set with its binder and will not be split. A remarkable testament to popular French advertising of the 20th century, at the crossroads of brand history, graphic arts, and those everyday objects which, having become obsolete with the gradual disappearance of penmanship, are today true collector's items.
Additional details:
- Brand: 20eSiecle
- Period: XXe siècle
Specifications
CategoryDecorative ObjectsConditionVery goodMaterialPaperSeller locationSaint symphorien des bois, FranceDelivery optionsDelivery or pickup
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About this seller
ProfessionalSaint symphorien des bois, FranceOn Whoppah since August 2026 • 2 sales