Le Paradis Tricolore • Alsace • World War I • Chromolithographs • 1918 • Beaucoup D'Images

Item Details

Paris:, H. Floury,, 1918, Decorated cloth binding

First Edition, First Printing., Very Good

Hansi—one of the most important visual interpreters of Alsace—deploys his distinctive decorative style to create a unified visual narrative filled with tricolor flags, cockades, and folkloric detail. The result is both charming and purposeful: a work designed to educate and affirm identity in a region long contested between France and Germany.

The vivid chromolithographed plates, combined with abundant in-text illustrations, elevate the volume beyond a simple children’s book into a compelling artifact of wartime culture and visual propaganda. The boldly patterned binding further enhances its appeal as a striking piece of early 20th-century book design.

DETAILS:
+++ First Edition, First Printing (1918); issued for the Christmas season following the liberation of Alsace
+++ Quarto; 12 inches tall; 40 pages
+++ Publisher’s decorated cloth binding with red and white striped design and floral roundels; mounted title label
+++ All edges stained red; pictorial endpapers
+++ Illustrated with 8 chromolithographed plates and numerous in-text decorations by Hansi
+++ Text in French

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
+++ A structured visual tour of Alsatian towns and villages at the moment of reintegration into France
+++ Strong architectural and cultural documentation of regional identity
+++ Cohesive visual narrative blending daily life, folklore, and patriotic symbolism
+++ Chromolithographed plates of notable richness and clarity
+++ A children’s book functioning simultaneously as cultural narrative and postwar propaganda

CONDITION: Very Good+. Bindings are tight and square. Text clean with light, even toning. Minimal shelf handling wear. Colors remain strong and vibrant. A superior and highly presentable example.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT —
Published at the end of World War I, Le Paradis Tricolore reflects the cultural reintegration of Alsace into France after nearly fifty years of German rule. Hansi’s work played a significant role in shaping French perceptions of the region, blending regional pride with national identity. Volumes such as this—produced at a moment of political and emotional transition—stand at the intersection of children’s literature, illustration, and state-influenced visual culture.

Subjects: Alsace, World War I, Hansi, French illustration, chromolithography, children’s books, patriotic literature, regional identity, decorative bindings, early 20th-century France.

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