*French, WW1, L’Illustration – de La Guerre 1914–1918, Collection of 38 Original Wartime Plates*
A substantial and historically important portfolio comprising 38 original large-format plates, issued as loose-leaf supplements to the French illustrated journal L’Illustration during the First World War, dating from 1915 to 1917, and presented together with the original printed title pages and alphabetical contents/index leaves from the corresponding wartime volumes.
The plates encompass 17 distinct subject groups, and include a powerful mix of colour aquatints, monochrome drawings, symbolic compositions, formal portraits, and rare early aerial battlefield photography. All were printed contemporaneously during the conflict and issued folded as double-page inserts for subscribers to collect, store, or mount.
Artists represented include Georges Scott, Albert Besnard, Henry Jacquier, A. de Broca, and J. Simont, all officially associated with L’Illustration’s wartime visual programme. Several plates are mounted on period card backings, consistent with early 20th-century presentation practices, while others remain unmounted as issued.
The group is housed within a contemporary card portfolio bearing a handwritten period or early post-war title: « L’Illustration de la Guerre 1914–1918 – Gravures – Souvenirs », confirming its assembly as a deliberate collected set rather than a later miscellaneous grouping.
Historical Note: During the First World War, L’Illustration functioned as France’s most influential illustrated journal, combining frontline reportage, officially sanctioned artists’ impressions, and pioneering aerial photography to shape public understanding of the conflict. Artists such as Georges Scott—often regarded as the visual chronicler of the French Army—produced some of the most enduring imagery of the war, while the aerial Somme photographs represent an early and increasingly scarce form of battlefield documentation.
The inclusion of portraits of Cardinal Mercier and General Joffre, alongside depictions of devastated towns such as Gerbéviller, Arras, and Reims, gives this portfolio both artistic coherence and strong historical narrative value.
*Condition* Overall in good, honest wartime condition. Plates show expected age-related toning, handling wear, and central vertical folds as issued. Some plates exhibit light edge wear, soft corners, small edge tears, and occasional creasing, more noticeable on mounted examples. Colours remain strong where present; photographic plates retain good clarity. Mounts show wear and scuffing consistent with age. No modern repairs observed. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
Measurements: Large plates: approximately 62 × 40 cm (varies slightly by plate). One smaller-format plate (Notre Village). All plates loose-leaf.
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Contents (17 Subjects / 38 Plates)
Les Ruines de Sermaize-les-Bains (Marne) — P. Vignal — 3 plates
Les Victimes du Taube — A. de Broca, 1915 — 3 plates
Les Halles D'Ypres — C. Duvent — 2 plates
L’Hôtel de Ville d’Arras — Georges Scott — 3 plates
La Cathédrale de Reims – Après le bombardement — Georges Scott — 2 plates
Nos Chasseurs en Haute-Alsace (Saint-Amarin) — Georges Scott — 3 plates
Dernière Vision — d’après Georges Scott — 1 plate
Coucher de soleil dans la plaine de l’Yser – pièce de 75 allant prendre position — Georges Scott — 1 plate
La Médaille Militaire — Georges Scott — 2 plates
La Croix d’Honneur — Georges Scott — 3 plates
Notre Village — Georges Scott — 1 plate(smaller format)
Gerbeviller — Georges Scott — 3 plates(mounted)
S.E.M. le Cardinal Mercier, Archevêque de Malines, Primat de Belgique — Albert Besnard — 3 plates(mounted)
Général Joffre, Commandant en Chef des Armées — Henry Jacquier — 2 plates(mounted)
Aux Éparges (Avril 1915) — J. Simont — 2 plates
À cent cinquante mètres au-dessus de la bataille — Une vague d’assaut — Service photographique aérien — 2 plates
À cent cinquante mètres au-dessus de la bataille — Progression dans les trous d’obus — Service photographique aérien — 2 plates
