1990? Set of eight menu jackets edited by Service Publicité d'Air France and used by Air France on dinner flights. Art by Willy Aractingi. Texts of La Fontaine as translated by Walter Thornbury. Gift of Nicole Dodier of Air France Publicité in answer to my request, Jan., '92. Extra copy first sent me by Terry Maguire from a Boston-Paris flight. Extras of MM, TMCM, and "The Pig, the Goat, and the Sheep" from teal1 through eBay, August, '02. Two more -- WL and LM -- found for €6 in Paris, June, '19. Three further menu jackets from Outremont, Canada. "The Heron" for $9.95 from Michael Burlew, Forked River, NJ, through Ebay, Dec., '07. TT for €10 from alexis13_123 through Ebay, Sept., '23.
Each jacket includes a cover picture of the fable and a back-cover featuring, in two columns, the French and the English text (Thornbury's translation) of a La Fontaine fable. The art is oil on canvas done by Willy Aractingi. Sent by Nicole Dodier of Air France Publicité in answer to my request. An extra copy of the first menu jacket was brought to me by Terry Maguire; it contains a specific menu used on a Boston-Paris flight. My favorite among them is "The Frog and the Rat." The fables presented include: FC; FM; TMCM; 2P; MM; "The Cock and the Fox"; "The Pig, the Goat, and the Sheep"; TT; and "The Eagle and the Owl."
Chocolaterie d'Aiguebelle
1890? 6 full-color portrait-formatted French cards featuring fables from Florian. 4½" x just over 3½". "Edition de la Chocolaterie d'Aiguebelle (Drôme)" on both sides of each card. Jacques Lehuard, Jonquieres St. Vincent, France, Feb., '08. Extras of "Le Grillon" and "Le Roi et les deux Bergers" for $6 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, March, '01. Extra copy of "Les Deux Voyageurs" for €5 at St. Ouen, June, '19. Four further cards for €9 each from Albert van den Bosch, Antwerp, June, '23.
Very pleasing cards, with better illustration work than on many such cards. The framing of the picture is done well, with a flowing ribbon moving up from the Aiguebelle credit at the bottom alongside the illustration and fable title and past the "Fables de Florian" group title at the top of the card. The verso presents the full fable text. The coloration reminds one of the coloring of fine "holy cards" in one-time Catholic grade schools.
1918 Agenda advertising the Grand Bazaar de Lyon and displaying six of La Fontaine's fables with text. €6 from lesbouquinsdeflorensac through Ebay, July, '22.
GA; DW; MM; Heron; WL; and FC. The illustrations are exactly the same as some of those appearing on individual stock trade cards I have representing Au Camelia and also Chicorée Anlatte. For each three-month portion and then for the whole year there is space to write down the agenda for that time. The claim for the Grand Bazaar is "On y trouve de tout."
1803 Aesopische Fabeln für die Jugend Nach verschiedenen Dichtern gesammlet und bearbeitet. A.G. Meissner. Neue mit 150 Holzschnitten versehene Ausgabe. Hardbound. Prag and Leipzig: Martin Neureuter. €150 from Hatry, Heidelberg, July, ‘25.
Here is one of the loveliest and most curious finds from summer days in Europe in 2025. 3.75” x 6”. About 340 pages. It consists of five books of 30 numbered fables each, plus an appendix of three more fables. The title-page advertises 150 woodcuts. The page number “195” is inverted, and “299” comes out “929.” Each fable is illustrated with a framed rectangular woodcut. This book is not in Bodemann, and Neureuter does not appear there. Meissner on the other hand did various kinds of editions. Our book consists now of three sections. A portion as originally bound in boards is in correct page order but with many gaps. It stops at the title-page for the fifth book. Two other portions are made up of separated loose pages, all with woodcuts on their right-hand page. One group of these consists of 38 loose pages from various places in the book. The other group consists of 15 loose pages with beautiful hand-colored illustrations. I find these wonderfully done! I presume somebody took the time to illustrate these pages, and somehow they have lasted 220 years! I will list this book under both “books” and “separated pages.”
1995 Aesop’s Fables Poster. Melanie Cargill. 16” x 20”. Felix Rosenstiel’s Widow and Son, Limited. Printed in Great Britain. Unknown source.
We have a framed copy of this large poster already in the collection. A central scene has many fable characters moving about, including frogs jumping on the sleeping hare. Eleven individual fables are described in one scene each around this central image. Surprises for me are “Two Frogs That Wanted Water” and “A Kingfisher.” This poster represents a good way to acclaim Aesop’s multi-faceted influence.
1965? Aesop’s Fables. Columbia CC 24501. Adapted by Louis Untermeyer. Music Composed by Marshall Izen. Voices by Marshall Izen. NY: Columbia Book and Record Library/CBS. Two copies. Unknown sources.
This record apparently came with “A Deluxe Read-Along Giant Golden Book.” The Untermeyer versions of the fables, along with the Provenson illustrations, remain among my favorites. This 33.3 record presents an introduction and some 25 fables.
2003 Aesop's Story: English Version. Versions by Mary Drake. Boxed set of seven books and two CD's. Aesop's Story: L.K. Family: L.K. Sellobby Korea. $10 from Jennifer Moon, Los Angeles, through eBay, August, '05.
This CD contains seven strong stories to match seven strong books. The stories are: OF, FC, TMCM, STH, LM, "The Lion and the Boar," and GA. This CD has just the English version. It is well done in native voices, with good musical background and sound effects. At the end of each story a female narrator asks "Did you enjoy the story?" See also the Korean disk below in the same boxed offering. See also the catalogue entries for the seven books.
2012 Aesop's Owl. Kohl's Cares. ohl's Department Stores, Menominee Falls, WI. Made in China. Found on eBay, April, '16.
This owl is regularly listed and advertised as "Aesop's Owl." However, nothing on the owl uses that name, and nothing I have seen with it further specifies how it is Aesop's owl. I guess we will have to wonder which fable Kohl's may have had in mind.
