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On these pages, we feature a minute portion of our inventory of vintage Quimper pottery. We are not an elusive e-mail alias; we stand behind our pieces and guarantee each to be as described. Your satisfaction is protected with a certificate of authenticity and a three-day return policy. Payment by Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, personal check, etc. is welcome and we have a liberal lay-a-way policy. Quimper pottery is one-of-a-kind art...if the right piece comes along just when you need tires, we understand...believe me, there's nothing worse than having to answer "No, I'm sorry" to "Do you still have...?"

You'll notice that prices are not shown; this is done to insure our customers' privacy and as a way to encourage communication. More often than not, all of the wonderful characteristics of a piece can't be squeezed into the description area. We also sell a lot of pieces as presents or to other dealers, but another reason why we don't list the price is because too many times a beginning collector sees a price of X on a plate and instantly jumps to the conclusion that every Quimper plate is worth X. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Quimper pottery is hand-painted, with each piece having its own individual characteristics, and thus,  traditionally irrelevant price guide theories are even more irrelevant.  Besides, do you really want everyone to know what you paid for something?

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Authentic Vintage Chemin de Fer d'Orléans "Bretagne" Poster by Charles Hallo

Our Cover item for this month is an emblematic view of Quimper's rue Kéréon as depicted on a fabulous original poster designed by Charles Hallo in 1919.

In the late nineteenth-early twentieth century, if you lived in the area of Brittany known as Finistère, the town of Quimper was where you had to go for any important administrative transaction.

The family in the foreground is dressed in the traditional "important occasion/administrative transaction" costume of the commune of Pont-l'Abbé...less than fifteen miles southwest of Quimper.

The train service connecting Paris with the hinterlands of Brittany prompted the creation of several wonderful posters promoting railway travel to the region, but this is the only one to single out the famous pottery town of Quimper!

Whether you're a railway buff, a Francophile, or someone who knows and appreciates good graphics...this is a fantastic poster!

Quimper's rue Kéréon is gloriously drawn by the noted poster artist Charles Hallo...who created his works using the name "Alo".

Here's a recent photograph taken from a similar vantage point...
...not much has changed...rue Kéréon remains one of the principal shopping streets of Old Town Quimper.

In an interesting play of light, the poster shows Cathédrale St. Corentin  highlighted in the background while the colorfully-dressed family strolls in the foreground. The statue of King Gradlon overlooks the comings and goings...just as it does today...

The medieval buildings, the bretons and bretonnes going about their business...it's just fantastic! It was printed in 1919 and features the early crest of the town of Quimper...

 The cerf or stag shown on the crest, called a karv in the Breton language, is a Celtic symbol for the beginning of life, specifically the renewal of life in the Otherworld.

The colors and attention to detail are great...to the left a closer view of the family going about their business...the petit breton taking charge of the umbrella!

The poster has been professional lined and measures 32" by 44" The image size is 29" by 41". The image and colors are absolutely spectacular! It is in amazing condition...if you're familiar with poster grading ...this is in A- condition. (If you're not familiar with the grading system for posters...that's basically as good as you'll ever find).

You know we don't use the term "rare" very often...but this Brittany travel poster is incredibly rare. Back then, posters were disposable...simply adhered to walls or bulletin boards and certainly never intended to be saved.

Hallo's distinctive signature is to the lower left...
...and the printer's markings are along the bottom...

This is an extremely rare opportunity to own an authentic vintage Chemin de Fer poster featuring the town of Quimper!

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