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Jean MercierMid-Century Original Printed Menu, Transatlantic French Line, 'Ile de France'.1956
1956
About the Item
Mid-century French transatlantic liner menu with printed illustration by French artist Jean Adrien Mercier. Signed in the print, top left and dated 1956 inside centre.
This highly colourful and charming piece of history gives us a window into the lives of the wealthy travelling across the Atlantic in style in the 1950s.
An arresting and highly colourful design based on the tale and song of 'Le Chevalier du Guet' adorns the front cover.
Turn to the inside to discover the bilingual menu offering delights such as Baltic Herring, consommé, kidneys sautéed in Marsala with raspberry flavoured sherbet to finish.
This menu graced the decks of the cruise liner the "Île de France" on its way to the Caribbean on Wednesday 11th January 1956.
Finally, to the reverse the charmingly illustrated song with lyrics and music.
A wonderful piece of history from a voyage on this iconic liner.
SS Île de France was a French luxury ocean liner that plied the prestigious transatlantic route between Europe and New York from 1927 through to 1958. She was built in Saint-Nazaire for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (or CGT, also known as the "French Line"), and named after the region around Paris known as "L'Ile de France". Launched in 1926, she commenced her maiden voyage on June 22, 1927, as the first major ocean liner built after World War I, and the first ever to be decorated almost entirely in modern Art Deco style. Though she was neither the largest ship nor the fastest, she was considered the most beautifully decorated built by CGT, becoming the favoured ship of the pre-World War II era among the young, wealthy and fashionable elites.
Jean-Adrien Mercier (1899–1995) was a French illustrator, poster artist, and advertising designer. Born in Angers, Mercier received his training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in Angers, and then transferred to the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs (National School of Decorative Arts) in Paris in 1921. He began his career in 1924 as a designer of publicity and cinema posters, a field in which he remained active throughout his life. Between 1925 and 1942 Mercier designed more than 120 cinema posters and also produced numerous commercial posters. Notably, he designed for the house of Cointreau because of connections through his mother, the granddaughter of the founder of the company and daughter of the creator of triple sec Cointreau. Mercier worked there for some forty years, eventually becoming the artistic director of the firm. At the end of the 1930s, Mercier began producing illustrations for children's books and fairy tales. His entrance into children's book illustration was aided by his creation of the "Salut Olympique" for the Vichy government in 1940. Mercier was hired by the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique in 1961 to decorate the children's playroom on a transatlantic ocean liner and also design the ship's menus.
- Creator:Jean Mercier
- Creation Year:1956
- Dimensions:Height: 13.39 in (34 cm)Width: 9.45 in (24 cm)Depth: 0.08 in (2 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Foxing and wear commensurate with age and use.
- Gallery Location:Cotignac, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: GB/MercierMenu1stDibs: LU1430214942252
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