Antique Au Bon Marche Winter Bear Framed Card

Found at market on our latest buying trip to Paris and framed lovingly in Chicago using vintage frames, we are so pleased to offer these adorable Au Bon Marche framed trade cards, each portraying a separate wintry scene.

The charming tradition of the trade card as a tool of commercial promotion blossomed in Paris around 1850, thanks to the visionary Aristide Boucicaut, proprietor of the illustrious department store Au Bon Marché. Ever the innovator, Boucicaut devised a delightful strategy to captivate his youngest clientele. Each week, children accompanying their parents were gifted a new, colorful advertising print—a keepsake as enchanting as it was ingenious. These miniature masterpieces quickly became the talk of Parisian households, as eager children clamored to return to the store to expand their cherished collections. A marketing marvel ahead of its time, these trade cards not only endeared the little ones but ensured Au Bon Marché became a beloved destination for generations.

This particular set of cards are perfect for the winter season, as each of these cards features adorable bears enjoying Les Sports de Pole Nord - Le Patinage (Ice Skating), Le combat de neige (Snowball fight) and Le Toboggan (Sledding).

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. A: 12.75"W x 9.75"L. B: 15.25"W x 12.25"L. C: 12.75"W x 9.75"L. Cards are in very good antique condition and frames in good to very good antique condition.