Opened on 26 December 1931, the Bel-Air Métropole Tower is a jewel of Art Deco architecture. Built on the American model by the Scotoni family of entrepreneurs, in collaboration with the architect Alphonse Laverrière and the painter Mennet for the decoration, this building is the first skyscraper in Switzerland. A symbol of modernism, the construction of this 55-metre high tower caused controversy. Opponents accused it of being inspired by Wall Street, the New York business district considered to be the centre of the economic crash, and claimed that the tower competed with the cathedral!
The Tower was designed to accommodate offices and housing as well as public spaces: a theatre (cinema-theatre), a restaurant and shops. Famous artists such as Louis Armstrong and Joséphine Baker and her troupe from the Casino de Paris performed there from the very beginning.
Reminiscent of the famous poster for Fritz Lang's film Metropolis, this extremely rare poster shows the building "in the limelight", with the lights of a projector illuminating the words "Cinéma Théâtre Métropole", just like a 1930s Hollywood cinema entrance.
Our work consists in safekeeping the artistic heritage of advertising that we consider as a sociological trace of the twentieth century civilization. Our restoration studio proposes unique know-how in the conservation of old paper, of museum mounting and restoration of vintage poster. If you have an original old poster, Galerie 1 2 3 Studio is at your service.
The posters we propose are veritable pieces of historic heritage, which have a collector’s value. We offer a service of authenticity and original vintage poster certification and propose detailed condition reports including an Official Certificate of authenticity.
