Phosphatine - La Fontaine · Carlson Fable Collection

Title

Phosphatine - La Fontaine

Description

1910? Twenty-six 7" x 4¾" cards printed by Typogravure Goupil, Paris, picturing and presenting La Fontaine fables. Each card is signed by J. Shalon or Chalon. Group A: Seven for 80 Francs each from Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market, August, '99. Group B: Eleven for $8 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, March, '01. Four cropped cards for $18.05 from Andrea Evans, Red Bank, NJ, through eBay, Oct., '02. Further cards for €7-€10 at St. Ouen, August, '15. Three further Group A cards and an extra of LM for $7 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricoouart, France, Sept., '21. 2P for €15 from Albert van den Bosch, Antwerp, June, '23.

The front of each of the cards has "Édité par la Phosphatine Falières" at the top. Beneath that is a large rectangular section. In all of Group A and the first two of Group B, this rectangle is bordered with straight lines enclosing a gray background. In the rest of Group B, there are no lines and no gray background. In either case, a delightful and varied floral border frames a large, delicately colored human scene. The lower portion of the framed section includes a moral, a title, and sometimes the first lines of the fable. Beneath the rectangle is the indication of Goupil and "Phosphatine Falières, Aliment des Enfants." The backs continue the fable. Many of the Group A cards are severely damaged by scrapbook glue, but all in Group B are in very good condition. On the back, those with a gray background on the front have a red floral border surrounding the text of the fable and a detailed blue-and-white rendition of the animal scene. Those without the gray have a blue floral border and a rendition of the animal scene in the same color. In each case for both groups the framing border is again unique, as it was on the front. Beneath it all is the same closing text as on the front: "Phosphatine Falières, Aliment des Enfants."

Date

1910?

Source

Group A: Seven for 80 Francs each from Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market, August, '99. Group B: Eleven for $8 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, March, '01. Four cropped cards for $18.05 from Andrea Evans, Red Bank, NJ, through eBay, Oct., '02. Further cards for €7-€10 at St. Ouen, August, '15. Three further Group A cards and an extra of LM for $7 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricoouart, France, Sept., '21. 2P for €15 from Albert van den Bosch, Antwerp, June, '23.