Stollwerck’s Chocolate – Gustav Tischer, c. 1910

Series of six original designs for “Stollwerck’s Chocolade” cards made around 1910, watercolour and gouache on wove paper by Gustav…

Series of six original designs for “Stollwerck’s Chocolade” cards made around 1910, watercolour and gouache on wove paper by Gustav Tischer, individually monogrammed or signed. Size (each) approx. 6,5 x 13,5. Framed as a set in one frame.

At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, chocolate was a privileged delicacy enjoyed only on special occasions. In 1912, one bar of chocolate cost as much as 20 sandwiches.

In the 1890s, Stollwerck started adding collectable cards to its chocolate bars. Originally, people kept the cards in cigar boxes, but later there were albums in which you could keep them, similar to collecting postage stamps. The chocolate bars were often sold through vending machines. Within a few years of the introduction of the collectible cards, sales increased by 40 percent. Stollwerck considered the design of the series to be very important and reserved 100.000 German marks to attract well-known artists for their design, such as Max Liebermann, Elli Hirsch and in this case Gustav Tischer.

The subjects of the card reflected the state of the art of the sciences of the day and contributed to the education of the people. The cards were happily used in schools because school books in those days hardly contained colourful images.

The development of collectable cards took place almost simultaneously in Europe. Also in the Netherlands, Verkade starts in 1903 with the production of the collectible cards.

At the start of WWI, Stollwerck stopped the production of its cards. Only in 1930 a few series appeared again, but without great success.

Price: SOLD