Calendriers Perpétuels

Selection

PERPETUAL CALENDARS

The collection of perpetual calendars

This unique collection has been patiently assembled by an avid collector over several decades.

Artifacts of a bygone era, perpetual calendars were considered in the 1950s and 1960s the ideal medium for "modern, perfect, attractive and unalterable advertising".

Chocolat Suchard

1952 – Joseph Marie HUSSON (after)

CHF 890.–

Appareils dragon

1960 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Even though they were described as "unalterable" by the manufacturer Albert Gerrer, these glass ads are very fragile. Today, they have become extremely rare.

A collection of this size and quality is unique.
For Galerie 1 2 3, it is an opportunity to write a beautiful page in the history of advertising art.
For amateurs and collectors, it is an extraordinary chance to acquire a few examples of an art form that has now disappeared.

Air Algérie

1960 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 490.–

Compagnie Transatlantique, Calendrier perpétuel

1969 – R. BOUVARD

CHF 490.–

Rubens , Brasserie de Nice

1959 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 475.–

What is a glass ad (vitrophanie in french)? >

Facsimiles of two magnificent catalogues of Albert Gerrer's glass signs >

The Perpetual Calendars by A.G.M.

As early as 1949, the workshops of Albert Gerrer in Mulhouse produced the first perpetual calendars with the "vitrophanie" (glass ad) technique.

Albert Gerrer, Les affiches en verre

1952 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 490.–

1949

Dunlop 49, as we know, the first perpetual calendar by Albert Gerrer.

Dunlop Fort

1949 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

1950

Union Sénégalaise d'Industries Maritimes, Fours-machines Eymard

Dunlop Fort

1950 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 490.–

Fours-Machines Eymard

1950 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 340.–

U.S.I.M.A, union sénégalaise d'industries maritimes

1950 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 450.–

1951

Cie de Navigation Mixte, Distillerie J. et M. Monier, Air France...

Cie de Navigation Mixte, Algérie Tunisie

1951 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Etablissements J et M Monier

1951 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Air France, réseau aérien mondial

1951 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 670.–

An advertisement printed under glass (a "glass poster") is mounted on a small wooden or metal (later plastic) box. Four "windows" reveal, from left to right: the day of the week, the day of the month (from 01 to 31) and the month itself, printed on paper ribbons mounted on rollers. These are manually activated by four small knobs on the side.

Thus, every day, it is possible to change the date in a perpetual "endless" motion..

(N.B: these mechanisms are now between 60 and 70 years old, we advise you to handle them with great care!)

Calendrier ouvert

1955 circa – ANONYMOUS

From 1949 onwards, these perpetual calendars with glass ads became one of the specialities of A.G.M. (Ateliers Albert Gerrer in Mulhouse), which produced thousands of them for dozens of companies, mainly French.

Champagne Mumm Cordon Rouge

1964 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

The most famous of these companies are Air France, Champagne Mumm Cordon Rouge, Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, Compagnies de Navigation Mixte and Paquet, Chocolat Suchard, Antar, Dunlop Tyres...

Transport and removal companies, hardware stores, brands of beer, cognac and underwear, banks and insurance companies, manufacturers of tools, heaters, pesticides and even ammunition used this advertising tool.

Widely distributed in the companies' branches, these calendars were often given to commercial partners or to good customers. The 1950s and 1960s became the golden age of advertising calendars.

SUCHARD PERPETUAL CALENDARS

The three perpetual calendars for Chocolat Suchard:

Chocolat Suchard

1952 – Joseph Marie HUSSON (after)

CHF 890.–

Chocolat Suchard

1960 – Joseph Marie HUSSON (after)

CHF 975.–

Suchard Milka

1965 – Pierre PROBST (after)

CHF 530.–

FOOD

Nerfarine, Equilibrant scientifique de la farine

1954 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 470.–

Biscottes Super Digest

1963 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 340.–

Armement André Ledun

1970 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 330.–

DRINKS

Rubens , Brasserie de Nice

1959 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 475.–

Champagne Mumm Cordon Rouge

1964 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Cognac Hennessy

1960 circa – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Cafés O caf, Grand Arôme

1962 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

AIR FRANCE PERPETUAL CALENDARS

Air France, réseau aérien mondial

1951 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 670.–

Air France, réseau aérien mondial

1958 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 630.–

Air France, Boeing jet et Caravelle

1959 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 530.–

Air France

1963 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 475.–

Air France

1969 – ANONYMOUS

SHIPPING COMPANIES

U.S.I.M.A, union sénégalaise d'industries maritimes

1950 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 450.–

Compagnie Transatlantique, Calendrier perpétuel

1950 circa – R. BOUVARD

CHF 535.–

Compagnie Transatlantique, Calendrier perpétuel

1969 – R. BOUVARD

CHF 490.–

Cie de Navigation Paquet

1961 – ANONYMOUS

Cie de navigation Paquet

1961 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 560.–

Transit Suquet

1961 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 330.–

Cie de Navigation Mixte

1954 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 460.–

Cie de Navigation Mixte, Algérie Tunisie

1958 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Armement André Ledun

1970 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 330.–

Car & Motor Oil

ANTAR, molygraphite

1953 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

Dunlop Fort

1951 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 440.–

ANTAR, molygraphite

1970 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

Transport

Gondrand

1955 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Transports Internationaux

1955 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 360.–

Gondrand

1965 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

Déménagements C. Meiffret

1958 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 350.–

André Serfaty, Déménagements, Manutentions, Transports

1961 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 240.–

Déménagements C. Meiffret, garde meubles

1960 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 290.–

Atlantique-transports

1953 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 440.–

Fashion

Chantarella, la chaussure idéale

1958 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 340.–

Bas Minuit

None – ANONYMOUS

CHF 450.–

Les fameux tricots Devernois

1955 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 290.–

Pento Hair Cream

None – ANONYMOUS

CHF 230.–

Etab.ts Ping Pong

1955 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 390.–

Petit Bateau, habille le monde

1960 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 470.–

Triméca, sous-vêtements - survêtements

1953 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 270.–

Sous-Vêtements Trimeca, survêtements

1956 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 375.–

Industry and hardware

Manufacture Générale de Munitions, Bourg-Les-Valence

1953 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 340.–

Rey Frères & Cie

1953 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Manufacture Générale de Munitions, Bourg-les-Valence

1968 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

Tous les coussinets, Courbevoie Seine

1956 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 270.–

Quincaillerie Industrielle A. Lafleur & Cie

1959 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 375.–

Pesticides Bayer

None – ANONYMOUS

CHF 370.–

Imprimerie Daniel Blond

1965 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 370.–

Mallat

1962 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 460.–

Energy & heating

Francia, Brûleurs à mazout

1960 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 240.–

Francia, technicien complet du chauffage central au mazout

1966 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 220.–

Mazout ou gaz, Francia

1967 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 220.–

Strasbourg-Lyon, Naphtex

1958 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 370.–

Electricité Générale André Morin

1965 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Banking, jewellery and insurance

Crédit agricole mutuel du Sud-Est

1968 – Quentin METSYS

CHF 390.–

Bijoux Murat

1950 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 360.–

S.I.C.A Durance, Méditerranée

1955 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 375.–

Glass advertising

Glass advertising (vitrophanie or vitrauphanie in french) is a technique for applying a more or less transparent image behind a glass plate, a technique derived from mercury or lead mirrors and gold or silver eglomised glass. It is also related to under-glass painting, also called "fixed under glass" ("fixé sous-verre").

This technique was used in advertising from the late 19th century until the 1950s.

Chocolat Lucerna

1900 circa – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Chocolats Lindt & Sprüngli, Berne, Zürich

1900 circa – ANONYMOUS

Sold

To multiply the visual and artistic effects, the "letter painters" use various materials and techniques: paint, stencils, lithographic prints on transparent paper, silkscreens, aluminium, silver or gold foil, and even turtle scales glued like tiles.

St.Moritz & Silsersee

1890 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 1230.–

Next came the prints on plastic film glued behind these glass plates, then the self-adhesive plastics fixed to the glass.

Télévision et Coca-Cola

1965 circa – ANONYMOUS

Sous-Vêtements Trimeca, survêtements

1956 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 375.–

These "glass plates" were sometimes embellished with barometers, thermometers or advertising clocks (Picon, Invar watches...).

Atlantique-transports

1953 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 440.–

LES AFFICHES EN VERRE, A.G.M.

Albert Gerrer S.A. Mulhouse, catalogue n°4:

"The A.G.M. Glass Sign.

It holds its place, it is unalterable, and is not affected by the weather. Being always fresh and clean, it is of great value, its brilliancy is incomparable and attracts attention to the place and at the time desired.

It is economical, as its almost unlimited duration permits the amortization over a great number of years. Its mounting and upkeep require no expense.

It is of the first quality; its appearance, its brilliancy and its high style, give it the benefit of the best places without expense.

Our glass signs are essentially of French manufacture; they have been adopted by the elite of the industry, who honour us with their custom. This is the modern advertising. You will find that it is widely employed in other countries for many years past, by the leading houses."

(Excerpt from A.G.M. catalogue n°4, circa 1935)

Glass advertising and the technological mastery of the Ateliers Albert Gerrer in Mulhouse.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Albert Gerrer produced a multitude of advertisements under glass, for the biggest companies present on the French market: Picon, Viandox, La poule au pot, Gitanes, Air France, Omega, Lip, Petrole Hahn, Gevaert Films, among many others.

Plate n°1: Stand-up advertisements for shop-windows
Plate n°2: Advertisements for sticking on windows

Most of these advertising glass plates had a small chain to suspend them or a metal frame to hang them on.

Plate n°3: Advertisements for hanging up
Plate n°4: Advertisements for fixing outside (with metal frames)

These glass posters could be mounted as signs, some with lighting, and placed "on a gallows" against shop fronts. They were sometimes decorated with barometers, thermometers or advertising clocks (Picon, Invar watches, etc.).

Plate n°5: Double sided or illuminated advertisements
Plate n°6: Thermometers, barometers, clocks

Les Affiches en Verre, Albert Gerrer S.A.

The perfect advertisement, attractive and unalterable.

Catalogue of glass posters by Albert Gerrer, Mulhouse, published in the mid 1950s.

"Prestigious advertising".

The first perpetual calendars with glass posters (Dunlop model 1950 and Suchard model 1954) appeared in this catalogue.

These perpetual calendars, as well as barometers and thermometers on glass posters, became one of A.G.M.'s specialities from 1950 onwards.

Despite Albert Gerrer's assurances that they would be "unalterable", these glass posters were nevertheless very fragile and have become extremely rare.