ALBERT SEBILLE (1874-1953) CIE GLE TRANSATLANTIQUE / FRENCH LINE / NORMANDIE. Circa 1939.
39x24 1/4 inches, 99x61 1/2 cm. Éditions de l'Atlantique, [Paris].
Condition B+: repaired tears, restored losses and minor mat staining in margins, some affecting image; slightly faded.
Sebille was an accomplished maritime artist who created many posters for the French Line. His signature is invariably followed by an anchor, emphasizing his passion for all things maritime. That this poster is so seldom seen suggests that it dates towards the months immediately prior to the outbreak of World War II. When the war broke out, the Normandie was docked in New York harbor, where she was interned by the US Government. She remained in her berth until she was ravaged by a fire in 1942, effectively ending her career. With the ship no longer able to sail, we suspect that the company chose to either destroy all the posters of her, or perhaps turn the paper over to conservation drives for the war effort. rare. We have found only one other copy at auction.