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a poster for the film ' s production of the film, the cocaine
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Premium Maître Nicolas CONSTANTY

19 - René Gaillard (19th–20th centuries) – Cocaine.
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Estimate €3,000 - €4,000
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Description
René Gaillard (19th–20th centuries) – Cocaine. 1926. 158 x 118 cm. Original poster, lithographic print, mounted on canvas. Condition A-, two small imperfections in the mounting at the top. Here we present a very rare theatre poster dealing with an unusual theme: drugs. Nothing in this image is trivial. It depicts both the physical ravages caused by its use and the places where it was distributed. The Sacré-Cœur is clearly visible, with the Moulin Rouge at the foot of the hill, and between the two, the ‘Queen of Horror’ embodied by this macabre green monster. This was one of the nicknames for cocaine. We can tell that this is indeed an Art Deco poster thanks to the main character’s ‘à la garçonne’ hairstyle, and the style borrowed from Paul Colin’s work on the posters for Joséphine Baker’s Revue Nègre, used to depict the musicians. Indeed, during the Roaring Twenties, cocaine spread like wildfire through the still-festive Montmartre. Having made its way from the working classes to the bourgeoisie, in cabarets and jazz clubs, ‘coco’, as it was known at the time, was everywhere. Even among florists, who sold bouquets of violets ‘à la neige’, and oyster sellers, who hid a small packet in a shell, from the Place de Clichy all the way to Barbès. It is amusing to note that this area is still the drug hub of Paris, albeit without the refinement and joie de vivre. This play is the work of Louis le Gouriadec (known as Paul Gury), originally from Brittany, with Mars Biso in the lead role. It was performed in Paris, most likely at the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre, and in Brussels. It is likely that the author drew inspiration from the book *L’Armée du crime* by Marcel Nadaud and André Fage (published by Anquetil, 1926), which devotes several chapters to the issue of this substance in Paris.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Shocking posters! Poster sale no. 18.
Auction location
Auction time 11/05/2026 at 4:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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