Description
The silhouette tells the whole story. A figure in profile. A cigar in one hand. A cigarette in the other. Against a warm, golden background that feels like late afternoon light. No detail. No distraction. Just the essence of choice.
“Die gute Fest-Zigarre”—the good festival cigar. And cigarettes too. This bookplate speaks to a different era. An era when a single product could serve two purposes. When a brand can be honest about variety without seeming confused about its identity.
Hohlwein’s silhouette work is masterful. The figure emerges from the yellow background with perfect clarity. You don’t need to see a face to understand this poster. The posture says everything. The angle of the hands. The confidence in the gesture. This is someone who has made a choice and lives with it comfortably.
The composition is bold. The background is warm. The silhouette is dark and decisive. Typography appears almost as an afterthought—ghosted at the corners. This is an authentic Fess-Zigarre und Zigarette bookplate that lets the image do the persuading.
This is a 1926 original lithograph. A bookplate—a library mark meant to identify the owner and communicate taste. The Fess bookplate does both. It says: the person who owns this has refined sensibilities. They understand value. They appreciate quality in both cigars and cigarettes.
Hohlwein’s cigar and cigarette poster designs represent some of his most economical work. Nothing is wasted. Every line serves a purpose. The Fess-Zigarre und Zigarette bookplate is a masterclass in restraint and impact. Collectors prize these pieces precisely because they do so much with so little.
Grade A condition. Museum-quality paper. No linen backing—this is the original, unbacked lithograph as created. The golden-yellow background holds its warmth. The silhouette reads with clarity. Every element is sharp and true. This is an authentic Hohlwein cigar-and-cigarette poster bookplate that has endured for nearly a century in remarkable shape.
Hohlwein understood something fundamental: a bookplate wasn’t just a library mark—it was performance. It was elegance. It was a statement of taste. Own a piece of that vision.
Why collectors choose this Hohlwein bookplate:
Collectors seek out this Fess-Zigarre und Zigarette bookplate because it represents Hohlwein at his most confident. In 1926, this kind of minimalist advertising was revolutionary. Most posters shouted. This one whispers. And it’s more persuasive because of it.
This piece is increasingly rare. Not all Hohlwein bookplate designs survive in Grade A condition, especially those with warm backgrounds, such as this golden-yellow composition. The original lithograph format means each print is unique. The color, the silhouette clarity, the balance—these are why serious collectors pursue this poster.
The Fess bookplate is a window into a moment when elegance and restraint were considered the highest form of persuasion. Own it, and you own a piece of that lost sophistication.
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