Description
Paul Gustave Mohr remains one of European advertising’s most elusive figures—a French lithographer whose work is scattered across collections and rarely encountered on the open market. This 1926 cartone for Cafes Makli is a singular find: the only documented image of this particular poster, making it a genuine discovery for coffee advertising historians and vintage poster collectors alike.
The composition embodies the stylized energy of 1920s French cafĂ© culture. A dynamic figure, rendered in Mohr’s spare but confident line, is surrounded by coffee iconography—cups, implements, and bold typography that declares “Cafes Makli Les Meilleurs En Vente Ici” (The Best For Sale Here). The palette reads as warm gold and deep charcoal against a dark ground, a palette choice that conveys both luxury and everyday accessibility—the hallmark of smart advertising in the Jazz Age.
As a lithograph on cardboard backing, this cartone was destined for café windows and small retail displays across France, where it would have caught the eye of morning commuters and afternoon coffee drinkers. The horizontal format maximizes visual presence in cramped storefront real estate. Its B condition—evident in subtle wear and patina—only deepens its authenticity; this is a poster that lived in the world, not one preserved in pristine storage.
For collectors of French advertising, artist-focused collectors, or those pursuing comprehensive coffee marketing ephemera, a Mohr original—let alone this undocumented image—represents a rare convergence of rarity, historical significance, and design merit.
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