Cacao Van Houten · Carlson Fable Collection

Title

Cacao Van Houten

Description

1920? Twelve unusually sturdy cards folded over to make a small brochure advertising Cacao Van Houten (or on FG in English "Van Houten's Cocoa"). 3½" x 5½" closed or 7" x 5½" opened. The cover of each displays a strong colored image of the fable, while the back cover has a uniform art deco picture of a woman in Egyptian dress serving a tray of Van Houten's cocoa. Inside is the text of La Fontaine's fable in French (or, for FC, in English). The back figure of a woman serving cocoa seems to be an art deco piece. The English text inside FC is Wright's rhyming 1841 translation, unacknowledged. €56 for the eight French brochures from Brie Comte Robert at the Paris Post Card Exhibition, Jan., '05. $8.50 for the English FC from Lonnieonthelake through eBay, Dec., '03. Three last cards for $15 each from Giorgio Mariotti, Torino, IL, March, '15.

This may be the only folding trade card I have found. The advertisement-illustration itself is engaging. When the printing is carefully done, as in GA and MM, the illustrations are excellent! Others, like FG and FC, seem less well executed. Who knows how many cards were in these sets, and how many different language sets were produced! The fables represented here include FC, FG, FS, GA, GGE, MM, TH, TMCM, and WC.

Date

1920?

Source

€56 for the eight French brochures from Brie Comte Robert at the Paris Post Card Exhibition, Jan., '05. $8.50 for the English FC from Lonnieonthelake through eBay, Dec., '03. Three last cards for $15 each from Giorgio Mariotti, Torino, IL, March, '15.