102 - I ONLY SMOKE NIL - c.1920-30

I ONLY SMOKE NIL - c.1920-30 Illustration based on a work by Gaspar CAMPS. Not credited. Superb and very rare original lithographed advertising card with embossed lettering. 41 x 20.6 cm. “B.Sirven.Imp.Toulouse-Paris” In excellent condition. - Vibrant colors; the gold accents are perfectly preserved and remain very bright on the deeply embossed “Le Nil” lettering and on the margins. There is a space reserved for a perpetual calendar at the bottom, which is missing here. There is slight localized surface discoloration, mainly on the left side. Overall condition is particularly satisfactory - An Egyptian-style work of rare finesse, signed by the poster artist Gaspard CAMPS (1874–1942). The artist dresses this elegant Egyptian queen in a magnificent fiery gown, whose flamboyant hues echo the sunrise setting the Nile ablaze in the background. Seated gracefully on a throne adorned with sphinx heads, the sovereign delicately holds a cigarette paper booklet in her right hand and smokes with distinction, letting sinuous wisps of smoke drift away. A truly beautiful Art Deco design, enhanced by an unusual orange color palette. Hailing from the Bardou dynasty (founders of JOB in 1845 and “JH Bardou” in 1849), the brand owes its name to its massive exports of paper to the Middle East beginning in 1870 for use in Levantine tobacco. Riding the wave of Egyptomania sparked by the opening of the Suez Canal, the “Le Nil” trademark was registered on May 13, 1887, in Perpignan. Associated with a factory in Angoulême as early as 1885 (the Bardou-Lacroix partnership), production was consolidated in 1901 at the Saint-Cybard paper mill, while Perpignan continued to handle finishing operations. Famous for its sphinx advertisements and its elephant designed by Leonetto Cappiello in 1912, the company was acquired by Bolloré in 1968. Its site in Charente is now home to the Atelier-Musée du Papier. (Pyrénées-Orientales/Occitanie)