Poster Auctions International

Thomas was an American painter, lithographer, and co-owner of the printing firm Thomas & Wylie of New York. At the age of sixty-three, he submitted this design to a competition sponsored by the Paris newspaper L’Eclair; to the surprise of many, including runners-up Vavasseur, Meunier, and Gottlob, he won—and deservedly so. It was one of the most successful poster competitions ever mounted: 500 entries were submitted (about forty of which were printed in a handsome book by the publisher), and the jury was a “Who’s Who” of the day’s graphic giants, including Puvis de Chavannes, Chéret, Forain, Grasset, Guillaume, Mucha, Steinlen, and Willette. This is the larger format.
Imp. Chaix, Paris
literature: Abdy, p. 167; Maitres, 222; Fit to Print, 86; PAI-XC, 433