Calendriers Perpétuels

Selection

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 970.–

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.–

Cie Gle Transatlantique

1971 – R. BOUVARD

CHF 450.–

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.–

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

1950 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 450.–

Fours-Machines Eymard

1950 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 340.–

1951

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

Cie de Navigation Mixte, Algérie Tunisie

1951 – ANONYMOUS

Etablissements J et M Monier

1951 – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Air France, réseau aérien mondial

1951 – ANONYMOUS

New

Champagne Mumm Cordon Rouge

1964 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 445.–

Cafés O caf, Grand Arôme

1962 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

New

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

CHF 445.–

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.

Cie de Navigation Paquet

1961 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 575.–

Cie de Navigation Mixte

1954 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 460.–

Transit Suquet

1961 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 330.–

New

The three perpetual calendars for Chocolat Suchard:

Chocolat Suchard

1952 – Joseph Marie HUSSON (after)

CHF 970.–

Chocolat Suchard

1960 – Joseph Marie HUSSON (after)

Sold

Suchard Milka

1965 – Pierre PROBST (after)

CHF 530.–

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.

Cognac Hennessy

1960 circa – ANONYMOUS

Sold

Nerfarine, Equilibrant scientifique de la farine

1954 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 470.–

Biscottes Super Digest

1963 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 340.–

Air France

Air France, réseau aérien mondial

1951 – ANONYMOUS

New

Air France

1963 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 570.–

Air France

1969 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 360.–

Transport

Gondrand

1955 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 490.–

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.–

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

None – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

Petit Bateau, habille le monde

1960 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 470.–

Industry and hardware

Manufacture Générale de Munitions, Bourg-Les-Valence

1953 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 340.–

Pesticides Bayer

None – ANONYMOUS

CHF 370.–

Manufacture Générale de Munitions, Bourg-les-Valence

1968 – ANONYMOUS

New

Tous les coussinets, Courbevoie Seine

1956 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 270.–

Quincaillerie Industrielle A. Lafleur & Cie

1959 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 375.–

Imprimerie Daniel Blond

1965 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 370.–

Mallat

1962 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 460.–

New

Motor oil and coal

ANTAR, molygraphite

1953 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

ANTAR, molygraphite

1970 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 430.–

Strasbourg-Lyon, Naphtex

1958 circa – ANONYMOUS

CHF 370.–

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.–

Banking, jewellery and insurance

Crédit Agricole Mutuel du Sud-Est

1969 – ANONYMOUS

CHF 360.–

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

CHF 390.–

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.