Here is Your Chance to See France and the Rhine

Liberté et économie ... Grâce à ma bicyclette

"Liberté et économie ... Grâce à ma bicyclette | le moins cher des moyens de transport"

This was put out by the Chambre Syndicale Nationale du Cycle, with art by Jacquemins. I would love to know the year. There seem to be lots of posters with this kind of message. They could become an obsession.

Les 100 Jours de France

1944 propaganda booklet full of florid phrases Gaulliennes about the genius of France and its sons and daughters who gave their lives in the struggle. Great graphic novel style cover art!

Hommage à l'Amérique, 1947

Vichy Propaganda

Who knew? The ones about working in Germany are hardly Chamber of Commerce brochures, but part of the Nazi/Vichy program to induce French labor zu arbeiten in service of the German war effort, by dangling the liberation of French POWs (of which my pépère was one) or the promise of advertising the quality of French craftsmanship. Sheesh. Love the deco Übermensch imagery of the second one, as well as the hammer, anvil, Tour Eiffel in the receding horizon, and the high modern gearwheel.

This last one is fascinating from my particular perspective. I had originally, stupidly thought it was related to the Common Market. But, in fact, it's also Vichyiste propaganda, offering a vision of European integration, to be sure, playing on classic French tropes of Albion perfide. Freaky stuff. This thing is huge, like 3' by 5'.