158 - LOMBART CHOCOLATE - c.1905

LOMBART CHOCOLATE - c.1905 Signed “Benjamin Rabier” Set of five original lithographed advertising menus. 19.7 x 11.2 cm each. In exceptionally fresh condition. The original colors are vibrant, vivid, and perfectly preserved. Remarkably, two of the menus still have their original silk protective paper. La Fontaine’s Fable: A classic depiction of the scene featuring the Crow and the Fox. The Circus: A lively scene featuring a clown and a lion. Childhood: A delicate illustration showing children playing in a kindergarten. Travel: A figurative composition combining a small locomotive, a windmill, and the silhouette of a little girl made of wood. Street Scene: A picturesque depiction of a peddler or street vendor carrying a disproportionately large box on his back. Founded in Paris in 1760 by Antoine Meunier, the Lombart company established itself during the reign of Louis XVI as the official supplier to the royal family (Princess Victoire, and later the Duchess of Angoulême). In the 19th century, under the leadership of industrialist and philanthropist Jules-François Lombart (1830–1915), the company transformed into an industrial giant by building “the largest factory in Paris” at 75 Avenue de Choisy (Paris’s 13th arrondissement). The company ceased operations for good in 1957, the year it was acquired by Chocolats Menier. Île-de-France