Books and Art

Wilhelm Hoffmann / Dresden (1896). Otto Fischer (German, 1870-1947). Poster. Printer: Wilhelm Hoffman, Dresden.

The printer advertises his shop as "an art institute for modern posters," and the designer gives him the image to go with it—that of an artisan lithographer, pipe and all, submitting a proof to the critical eye of a female customer. It's obviously a high-class printing establishment. Fischer was born in Leipzig and worked as a painter, decorator, and lithographer; he earned an honorary title of professor at the Dresden Academy.

Alcazar d’Hiver / Maquettes Animées (1890). Jules Chéret (French, 1836-1932). Poster. Printer: Imp. Chaix, Paris.

The painter Georges-Bertrand traveled around France with his Animated Models show, in which various small sculptural creations moved in time to a phonographic recording of music.

Rachel Berendt (1933). Leonetto Cappiello (Italian, 1875-1942). Poster. Printer: Imp. Devambez, Paris.

"Although Cappiello's portrayal of theatrical personalities was most often executed in his early caricature style, the poster for actress Rachel Berendt is a well-conceived professional design that creates the effect of the artiste stepping out from the dark wings into the glow of the spotlight. Berendt's real name was Marie Monique Arkell (1893-1957)."

Voltaire (1876). Jules Chéret (French, 1836-1932). Poster. Printer: Imp. J. Chéret, Paris.

Chéret created a number of designs for children's clothing and playthings, all of which share the same peculiar charm. There is something both nightmarish and fantastical about his characters: a grinning clown with elfin ears, a rabbit playing drums with a menacing look in his eye, a jolly potbellied man who swoops in with a sweet young child. The design announces clothing for men, young people, and children at Voltaire, which was located on the square now known as the Place de la République.

Polaire / Théâtre du Gymnase (1904). Leonetto Cappiello (Italian, 1875-1942). Poster. Printer: Imp. P. Vercasson, Paris.

"In Le Friquet (The Sparrow), Polaire plays the leading role of a girl who was found as an abandoned baby, adopted by a clown, and grows up in the circus. The tragic romantic melodrama ends with her plunging to her death from a trapeze, as she feels jilted by her lover whom she spies with another from her height. The play opened in 1904, and was well received. Catulle Mendes declared: 'Half of Paris has come to see the play, and Mlle. Polaire is making the other half run to see it as well'"

Tivoli Waux Hall / Bal de Nuit (1872). Jules Chéret (French, 1836-1932). Poster. Printer: Imp. J. Chéret, Paris.

One of Chéret's earliest lithographs, this design promotes the spectacles of Tivoli Waux Hall, a dance hall with a predominantly young clientele from the nearby trade schools and commercial establishments. Chéret designed several posters for the venue between 1872 and 1885; this one features a seductive woman in Harlequin-style dress with Punchinello on her left and a Pierrot on her right. This was truly a "Bal de Nuit:" the excitement started at 9:30pm and went on to 5am. Rare!

Ambassadeurs / Yvette Guilbert (1895). Bac (Ferdinand Bach) (French, 1859-1952). Poster. Printer: Affiches Camis, Paris.

A lifelong friend of the performer, Bac created numerous designs for Yvette Guilbert. This elegant image shows her in noble profile for her nightly revue on the Ambassadeurs’ stage.

Folies Bergère / Tous Les Soirs (1869). Anonymous. Poster. Printer: Imp. Bertauts, Paris.

This is the first poster ever created for the now iconic Folies-Bergère music hall. "Its archaic style and advertising message lead us to believe that this is the poster for the first performance (hence dating back to May 1869) or one immediately following the opening. The style is indeed romantic and unlike the much more powerful music hall posters which appeared shortly afterwards. A bergère (shepherdess) half opens the curtain which announces: operettas, sketches, one-acters, ballet, and song. Performances were given seven times a week at 7:30 pm. The price of a seat, 3 francs, included refreshments... A dancer covered with small bells appears from behind the curtain. The characters, the decor outlined in the background, the garlands of flowers, everything reminds us of the pleasures of the 18th century. The artist may be E. Bar.

Femina. Anonymous. Poster. Printer: Lit. Mateu, Madrid.

The French have always been role models for high-end fashion with their undefinable aura of effortless class, and this bourgeois Spanish woman has fallen under the spell. Dressed to the nines on a stroll with her elegant greyhound, she's picked up the latest issue of Femina, a Parisian women's magazine that covered leisure activities, fashion, literature, and art. It was quite the feminist publication: in 1903, they dedicated an entire issue to female artists at the 1903 Salon, and the illustrations and cover were all drawn by women.

Uncle Tom's Cabin. Anonymous. Poster. Printer: Ackermann-Quigley Litho., Kansas City.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" spurred a bevy of theatrical adaptations around the world. Here, a performance is announced for an unknown venue. The enslaved Eliza has decided to escape with her son, Harry; she runs to Uncle Tom's Cabin to share her plan and to warn him that he has been sold and will be taken away the following day. Aunt Chloe suggests that Tom join her in her plight, but Tom decides it is more important for Eliza to escape, and he doesn't want to leave his family behind. Above this scene, cameos of Abraham Lincoln and Stowe are seen, perhaps as a nod to the abolitionist movement.

Harper’s / May (1897). Edward Penfield (American, 1866-1925). Poster.

For the 1897 May issue of Harper's, Penfield employs no gimmicks or extraneous elements; rather, he gives us an effortlessly classy looking lady out on a stroll with her handsome greyhound. The blank background ties her to no specific location, implying that all smart ladies (and their canine companions) will enjoy this magazine's issue.

Salon des Cent (1897). Andrew Kay Womrath (American, 1869-1939). Poster.

The only known poster by this artist, this design wittily undermines conventions at the annual Salon des Cent. While most artists promoting this exhibition have focused on women in contemplation, Womrath takes a different tack: a gentleman is rapt with attention at the shape of a vase while a woman looks on, dreamily and with slight interest, as her hand leafs through drawings or paintings, possibly of nude men.

Harper’s / July (1896). Edward Penfield (American, 1866-1925). Poster.

The lively colors of this redhead’s ensemble contrast marvelously with her serious demeanor in this simple promotion for the Harper’s July issue.

International Studio (1897) (detail). Joseph Walter West (British, 1860-1933). Poster.

As the text reads, The Studio was a journal “of fine and applied art” based out of England. It featured some of the more influential artists of the day, including Aubrey Beardsley and Charles Mackintosh. West’s delicate poster for the publication is a lovely example of American Art Nouveau, all curling lines and wintry hues embracing a lovely lady in Victorian attire who is reading one of the journals.

Scribner’s for September. John Edwin Jackson (American, 1876-1950). Poster.

Ah, autumn. Not too hot and not too cool. The ideal time for a canoe ride down a lazy river with a significant other with nary a distraction save canopying trees and the occasional water lily. Stylistically speaking, Jackson’s artwork almost seems like a combination of Parrish and Penfield, a melding of the allegorical and the societal. However, had either of those artists been in on the design there most surely would have been a copy of Scribner’s present, which isn’t the case here. That doesn’t make it any less lovely though.

The Woman in White (1871). Frederick Walker (British, 1840-1875). Gouache on paper. Poster. Tate.

This life-sized poster is one of the first examples of a fine artist undertaking an advertisement. It was made for Wilkie Collins’s ‘sensation’ play The Woman in White, which opened at the Olympic Theatre, London in October 1871. It combines a Pre-Raphaelite-style beauty with black and white graphic design. Sweeping lines pull the viewer’s eye to the woman’s mysterious and inviting expression.

Mistinguett / Vedette Columbia (1938). Jean-Dominique van Caulaert (French, 1897-1979). Poster.

This sassy image coincides with her latest record put out by Columbia, featuring a new rendition of Minstinguett's signature song "Mon Homme."