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French Gold

1880?    A full set of twelve gold-background cards with La Fontaine scenes and French titles.  2½" x 4".   The scenes are again identical with those pictured on cards by Charles Wemple and Martin Kronheim of NY.  $35 from Lee Fichtner, South Grafton, MA, through eBay, May, '10.  Also 11 of 12 cards picturing La Fontaine fable scenes against a gold background. 2½" x 4".   The scenes are identical with those pictured on cards by Charles Wemple and Martin Kronheim of NY.  $13.50 from joseebunk, Kennebunk, ME, through eBay, Sept., '09.  Also ten of the complete set of twelve (minus "Frog and Mouse" and "Heron") for $12 from Pat and Michael Madden, Schaumburg IL, March, '19. 

Several years ago I found a full set of Wemple/Kronheim cards with green backgrounds after struggling to find eight individual cards.  They bear no markings besides the fable's name in French.  The card lacking from the second set is FM.  The gold background invites scratches.  Some of the printing here is not exact.  The versos are all blank. 

1880    3 cards (below) picturing La Fontaine fable scenes against a gold background. 2½" x 4".   Two advertise, respectively, Lowell Lake, Chester, VT, and Bousquin, "Le Meilleur Déjeuner des Enfants." The third is untitled and unmarked. The Bosquin card was printed by Bognard in Paris. $5 for the Lowell Lake card in Chelsea, NY, April, '97; 40 Francs for the Bosquin card from Annick Tilly at Clignancourt, August, '99; 30 Francs for the blank card at Clignancourt, August, '99.

The Lowell card pictures "Le Lièvre et les Grenouilles." Its back side gives dates for the season from 1880 through 1884, the proprietor's name, and the post office address. It mentions "Billiards, Bowling, Boating and other amusements that are usually found at summer resorts." Why would a resort like this hand out cards with a title in French? The Bousquin card, "Les deux Chèvres," praises its children's food products and gives the numbers for its address in Galerie Vivienne both before and after the place name.

Two Goats

Eagle and Crow

FC

Frog and Mouse

Hare and Frogs

LM

FS

TH

The Heron

Dog with His Master's Lunch

Dogs Draining a River

WL