VARIOUS ARTISTS

LES MAITRES DE L’AFFICHE. Bound volumes 2-5. 1897-1900.

16x12½ inches, 40½x31¾ cm. Chaix, Paris.
Condition varies, generally B+. Wear to covers and inside; a few loose sheets. Vol 5 missing pl. 193. Re-bound.

The Maîtres de l'Affiche were small format reproductions of what were, ostensibly, the best and most famous posters from around Europe and America as selected by the famous critic (and poster supporter) Roger Marx. They were printed by the Chaix publishing house as a concession to the growing craze of poster collecting at the end of the 19th century. Each of the plates is a full color lithograph printed on high quality paper. The series was published from 1896-1900, during which time subscribers would receive four new plates each month. In all, there are 256 plates in the series, 240 of which depict posters and the other 16 are supplements, designed specifically for subscribers. The appeal of the Maîtres was, and remains, their small, easy-to-collect format. This set is missing Volume I. Art Nouveau p. 32, Arwas 79.