Deauville (La Plage Fleurie) - Rare 1930 Original Art Deco Illustrated Work
Published in Paris, France by Devambez / Imprimerie de Publications Commerciales, March 15, 1930
This is an exceptionally rare, legendary, and highly sophisticated original 1930 French luxury publication celebrating the glamour, elite society, and lifestyle of the famous resort destination of Deauville during the heights of the Art Deco era. Packaged in its iconic modern softcover design, this rare volume showcases brilliant literary contributions, artistic watercolor plates, and high-fashion advertising layouts tracking the vibrant midsummer events at the beach, the casino, and the yacht ports. It stands as a holy grail reference for collectors of interwar French illustration, high-society lifestyle history, and classic Art Deco graphic design.
Item Specifications:
- Title: Deauville (La Plage Fleurie)
- Cover Composition: Roger de Valerio
- Text Contributors: Louis Cheronnet, Maurice Dekobra, Andre de Fouquieres, Jean Cocteau, Pierre Mac Orlan, Dr. R. Durand-Fardel, Virginie Heriot, Jean Savoye, Dr. Etchegoin, Pierre de Regnier, Le Comte de Romanet, E. de Gramont, Georges Hebert
- Illustration Artists: Vertes, Roger de Valerio, Don, Jean Cocteau, Lucien Boucher, Genevieve Gallibert, Geo-Ham, Sem, Dubaut
- Photographic Credits: Wide World, Keystone, La Riviera Normande, Lorelle, Compagnie Aerienne Francaise
- Publisher/Printer: Devambez (Paris, France)
- Publication Date: March 15, 1930 (Stated on original colophon mark)
- Format: Large Softcover / Oversized Paperback with original illustrated blue textured paper covers
- Language: French text
- Pages: 112 pages (including extensive unnumbered thematic text sheets, catalog blocks, and full-page plates)
- Dimensions: 26 cm x 20 cm
Features and Content:
- Remarkable literary and poetic vignettes tracing different upscale resort activities, including Jean Cocteau's "La Mode et les Artistes", Maurice Rostand's "Le Casino", and Pierre Mac Orlan's "Le Bar du Soleil".
- Outstanding full-page color plates (hors-texte) and embedded watercolor graphics, highlighting Marcel Vertes' stylized modern bathers, Lucien Boucher's whimsical dreamlike landscape map for "La Normandie", and Don's elegant societal caricatures.
- Includes a superb, iconic full-page Art Deco automotive watercolor plate by the celebrated transport artist Geo-Ham titled "L'Auto a Deauville", capturing an elite open-top touring car and high-society passengers.
- Historic black and white photographs tracking sporting culture, detailing the new golf layouts and Georges Hebert's famous "Ecole Nautique Feminine" athletic teams on the shoreline.
- Gorgeous full-page high-fashion commercial period advertising, showcasing luxury brands like Van Cleef and Arpels, Old England Paris, regional state railways, Chargeurs Reunis maritime cruises, and a legendary full-page advertisement for the 5-Litre Bugatti with coachwork by Weymann.
Condition:
Very Good vintage pre-owned condition. The binding structure is completely solid, secure, and holding all internal leaf segments firmly. The original textured blue outer wrap shows typical light edge creasing, slight spine chipping, and minor cosmetic handling marks consistent with its 1930 publishing date. The gilt and raised cover lettering remains bold and legible. Interior pages, full-page artistic prints, and text layout columns are remarkably fresh, crisp, and clean, showing minimal uniform paper toning and being entirely free of modern ink marks, highlights, or structural tears. An exceptional, collector-grade copy of a very scarce Art Deco monument.
SHIPPING AND HANDLING:
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Flat Shipping Rates:
USA, Canada, and the Americas: USD 25
Europe: USD 30
Rest of the world: USD 35
The book will be carefully packed with professional-grade protective wrapping and moisture barriers to ensure it arrives safely at your destination.
Note: This piece is sold as-is, from a private collection. A gorgeous historical reference for collectors of classic French illustration, modern Art Deco monographs, automotive history, and luxury interwar publications.