?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
GEO BLOTT (DATES UNKNOWN) SPA. 1899. 42 x 30 inches. L. Geisler aux Chatelles, Paris. Condition B+: minor restoration in margins; vertical and horizontal folds. The Belgian town of Spa was mentioned by Pliny the Elder as early as the first century B.C. Her therapeutic waters were renowned throughout the medieval era, and by the middle of the 19th century, Spa became such an elite destination that the word entered into the international vernacular to become the generic name for all spring waters. Thermal springs, spas, and therapeutic waters were an integral part of the aristocratic social circles and became extremely popular among the upper classes all over Europe. This French Railway poster shows how easy it was to travel from Paris to this luxurious and elegant Belgian resort. It also beautifully depicts the sophistication and style of the patrons who visited. The poster was an early photo offset, and it says in the margin: "Reproduction photographique en 3 coleurs." The waters from the Spa springs were bottled beginning in 1906, and Spa remains the number one brand of mineral water in Belgium.
