Les Ambassadeurs

The Café des Ambassadeurs symbolises the golden age of Parisian café-concerts and, more broadly, the artistic life of bohemian Paris before the First World War. Although the celebrated voices that once captivated Parisian audiences have long since fallen silent, the era continues to resonate through the rich body of posters that helped establish the fame of the Ambassadeurs.

From depictions of the venue itself to portraits of its star performers, the Ambassadeurs posters trace the evolution of the medium, from a promotional tool accompanying popular songs and sheet music to a recognised form of artistic expression.

The Café des Ambassadeurs was a renowned Parisian café-concert located at 1 Avenue Gabriel, on the edge of the Champs-Élysées in Paris’s 8th arrondissement. Famous for its fashionable atmosphere and variety shows, it was a major centre of the capital’s artistic and social life at the end of the nineteenth century.

The posters presented in Les Ambassadeurs: The Golden Age of Café-Concerts come from the historic holdings of the prestigious City of Chaumont collection, managed by Le Signe. This collection is the second-largest collection of historic posters in France after that of the BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France). A remarkable cultural treasure, it includes the largest collection of posters by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, around 400 works by Jules Chéret, as well as posters and preparatory sketches by Alfred Choubrac and Pierre Bonnard.

Comprising more than 5,000 graphic works, this unique and exceptional ensemble, a testament to the Belle Époque, was bequeathed to the City of Chaumont in 1905 by Gustave Dutailly, French politician, Member of Parliament for Haute-Marne, and botanist.

Save the date!
Le Signe invites you to the exhibition opening on Friday, 19 June 2026, at 6:30 pm, followed by a dance performance by Aude Bertrand and the Chaumont-based company Créa’danse at 7:30 pm, and a DJ set from 09:00 pm onwards.