Au Bon Marche

1900? La Fontaine. Six large (almost 6" x 9") cards titled "Au Bon Marché" each with an ornately framed colored image by Maurice Leloir. Paris: E. Barret. 50 Francs each from Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market, August, '99. Extra copies of "La Vielle & les Deux Servantes" and "Le Loup, la Mere & l'Enfant" for the same price from Annick, July, '01. Each card lists "Au Bon Marché" at the top of the front and back. GA and "Les Deux Pigeons" are translated into entirely human scenes. While the style of the art is not to my taste, the colored printing is lovely on these well preserved cards. The ornate framing of the scene may sometimes be more engaging than the scene! Included are also MM, "L'Asne & le Petit Chien," "Le Loup, la Mere & l'Enfant," and "La Vieille & les Deux Servantes."

1900? Fables de Florian. J.J. Grandville. Eight cards, just over 6¼" x 4½", advertising Au Bon Marché, presenting fables of Florian and illustrated in color by J.J. Grandville. Engraved by H. Demoulin and printed by Draeger Frères. From Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market for about 50 Francs each, August, '99 and July, '01. "Le Linot" for $14 from McIaren Enterprises, Nottingham, England, through Ebay, August, '00. "La Tourterelle et la Fauvette" for €3 at Paris Post Card Exhibit, Jan., '05. Extras of "Les deux Chats," "La Guenon, le Singe et la Noix," and "Le Hibou et le Pigeon," the latter cropped. Each card lists "Au Bon Marché" at the top of both front and back. The front of the card then presents a delightful Grandville scene, including the usual dressed human animals. Under Grandville's signature is a title for the fable scene and, in parentheses, "Fables de Florian." The back identifies Au Bon Marché as "Maison A. Boucicaut" in Paris, restates "Fables de Florian," and lists the engraver and printer under the full text. A note on the back of one of the cards from Annick indicated that there are six in the series. Now that--having found "Le Linot" and "La Tourterelle et la Fauvette"--I have eight, that remark seems to have been premature. While all the illustrations are done in portrait format, half of the texts are in landscape format.

1900 Exposition Universelle 1900 GGE. Five slightly larger than 6½" x 4" cards, titled "La Poule aux Oeufs d'Or," printed by B. Sirven, Toulouse-Paris. €8 for four cards (of 6?): #1, 2, 3, and 5 in St. Ouen, August, '13. Extra copy of #1 for 60 Francs from Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market, August, '99. Extra copies of several cards and a first copy of the last missing card, #4, from Caveron Devey, Paris, August, '14. The truly last missing card for €12 from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne Ricquart, France, Sept., '18. In the first image, a little girl seems to be putting coins into a stocking while a little boy watches. This seems the "before" of the story itself, establishing that the couple is poor. The second scene shows the young man delighted to have found a golden egg. The young man believes in the third scene that this black hen contains a whole treasure. The fourth card introduces the sinister knife with wondrous eagerness! In the fifth scene, the hen lies dead and the two humans grieve. Now in 2020, I have learned from Bertrand Cocq that there are actually six cards in the series. Of course! There are always six! Lovely colors!

1900 Exposition Universelle 1900 "Le Meunier, Sons Fils et l'Ane." Six slightly larger than 6½" x 4½" cards printed by Courmont Frères, Ch. Rousseau Sr, Paris. Each scene signed by F. Cap (?). 70 Francs each from Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market, August, '99. Extras of cards 1, 4 (cropped), and 5 (cropped) for a total of 110 Francs from Annick, August, '01. Extras of cards 1 and 3 for €2 each from Paris Postcard Exhibit, Jan., '05. Extras of cards 1 and 3 for €5 each from St. Ouen, August, '13. Each of the six scenes here has a four-to-seven line segment of La Fontaine's long fable. Again, as in the GA set, "Au Bon Marché" and the title of the fable are to be found somewhere on the picture side. The back has the same information as there including mention that this store is "comme l'une des plus remarquables curiosités de Paris." Several of the cards show crease-marks or the residue of a scrapbook on their backs.

1900 Exposition Universelle "La Cigale et la Fourmi." Six 6½" x 4½" cards printed by Imp. E Dufrénoy of Paris. Each scene signed by P. Kauffmann. 80 Francs each from Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market, August, '99. Extra copy of card 6 for €5 from St. Ouen, August, '13. Extras of the last four cards for $50 from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne Ricouart, France, Sept., '18. The back of each card shows a design of the actual department store buildings under the name "Maison Aristide Boucicaut" and invites guests at the Exposition Universelle 1900 to shop at this store. Each card promises "Interpretes dans toutes les langues" and proudly claims "Hors concours - membre du jury"! The colors are a bit faint, but this is a classy set.

1900? Set of twelve Au Bon Marché La Fontaine cards, 4" x 5 3/8", in oriental style. Printed by J.E. Goossens in Paris and Lille. These are rich in gold with bright colors and make a strong oriental impression. The front of each, framed in gold, has "Au Bon Marché" at the top and a title and one-line moral at the bottom. On the verso we find again "Au Bon Marché" at the top, followed by a title and the verse fable of La Fontaine. At the bottom is a notice of Gossens and a printer's decoration. I have eight extras; the total number for each card, if greater than one, is indicated in the parentheses.