Avant et après la lettre

In 1906, the City of Chaumont received an extraordinary bequest of 5,000 items from the illustrated poster collection of Gustave Dutailly (1848–1906), following the death of the collector—a Radical Party deputy from Haute-Marne and a prominent botanist of his time. This collection, a remarkable showcase of Belle Époque printmaking, reflects the artistic vitality of the period that saw the birth of the French poster. Today, it stands as an invaluable cultural heritage for the City of Chaumont, and its rediscovery in the 1980s paved the way for the City’s engagement with graphic arts from 1990 onward. The collection features masterpieces by renowned poster artists including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Chéret, Eugène Grasset, Adolphe Willette, Alfred Choubrac, and Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, alongside rare works now presented to the public.

Hand-drawn poster maquettes and so-called “avant la lettre” proofs occupy a special place in the Dutailly collection due to their rarity. Whether preparatory sketches or deluxe prints, these works resemble engravings more than conventional posters, often lacking complete advertising messages. The presence of both maquettes and their corresponding finished posters allows visitors to trace the creative process behind these iconic works. Far from being hidden, these pencil and gouache maquettes were exhibited in their time, for example at the Salon des Cent, offering collectors like Dutailly the chance to study the subtle variations and transformations from an initial idea to a fully realized poster.

Visuals :

Eden oriental. Débuts en France. Phonocéphale Kermesse enfantine, Léon Choubrac, 1880.

Folies-Bergère. Les Phoques, musiciens, fumeurs, pêcheurs, sauveteurs, Alfred Choubrac, 1897.

La Revue déshabillée de Mr. Jean d'Arc (version censurée), Adolphe Léon Willette, 1894.