It is important to remember that you are buying an original vintage fine art poster an not a reproduction of any kind. We do not use terms like “mint” or “near mint” condition, as they are highly subjective. Each of our pieces is photographed in high quality so you can zoom in and view the poster in greater detail. In addition we use the following IVPDA (International Vintage Poster Dealers Association) approved condition rating system:
"A" Condition: the poster is in fine condition. The colours are fresh and there is no paper loss. If there is a slight tear, or folds, it is very unobtrusive.
"B" Condition: the poster is in good condition. The colours are acceptable. While slight paper loss maybe evident, it does not distract from the image. Restoration, if any, is not immediately apparent.
"C" Condition: the poster is in fair condition. Colours are faded, and there are signs of more extensive restoration. Existing folds are more visible, and possibly minor paper loss.
We further use '+' or '-' to more precisely describe the condition of a particular item (e.g.: B+). On top of this, we describe any “condition particularities” for individual pieces on its product page.
We apply the above condition rating system to all our posters and prints. If you have additional questions regarding our piece’s condition, we invite you to submit any inquiries.
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Etienne Maurice Firmin Bouisset (1859-1925) was a French painter, poster artist and printmaker. Bouisset created posters with enduring images for a number of different French food companies such as Maggi and Lefèvre-Utile For the latter company, he used their LU initials as an ad logo as part of an 1897 poster image for a line of butter biscuits featuring "The Little Schoolboy" (French: Petit Ecolier) of which a variation is still being used by the company today. However, Firmin Bouisset is probably most famous for his posters for the French chocolate manufacturer, Menier. Bouisset's work was part of the Maîtres de l'Affiche as well as L'Estampe Moderne, the leading publisher of original French prints during the late nineteenth century. Today, many of his posters are very popular with collectors and because they are no longer copyright protected are being duplicated and sold on the Internet and in retail outlets in many countries.
This poster, an advertising for Savon Normal or "Normal Soap", features a young girl getting ready to tackle dirt and grime with a large bar of soap on her shoulder.
Particulars: This lithographic poster has been professionally conserved and backed on acid-free linen paper (see poster and print conservation and restoration). The poster has a French tax stamp near the top, left corner. Tax stamps were required before posters were allowed to be posted on a city wall. Any poster which survives today that has a tax stamp was likely taken out of the billposter's stack of posters before it could be pasted up. Tax stamps add an interesting bit of history to a poster.