Original c. 1920s S.S. Paris Léon Haffner French Maritime Art Postcard For Sale
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Original c. 1920s S.S. Paris Léon Haffner French Maritime Art Postcard:
$14.44
One of Mother Maritime’s favorite cards!
Original period French maritime postcard illustrated by Léon Haffner, depicting a four-funnel passenger liner powering through heavy seas alongside a smaller cargo steamer. The printed title is “Paquebot Postal et Cargo.”
COMPELLING HISTORY
Before aviation transformed international travel, passenger liners transported people and mail while projecting national influence across the oceans. This dramatic postcard was issued by the Ligue Maritime et Coloniale Française, an organization that promoted French merchant shipping, naval strength, and colonial interests during the interwar period.
Léon Haffner (1881–1972) was appointed an official Peintre de la Marine in 1918. His maritime artwork combined carefully observed ships with bold color, dynamic movement, and unusually expressive seas.
The organization named on the postcard was established in 1921, dating this example no earlier than that year. Its style suggests a 1920s publication date, although the exact date of issue is unknown.
SHIP ATTRIBUTION
An old pencil notation on the reverse reads:
“S.S. PARIS
CIE GEN. TRANSATLANTIQUE”
The design has also been associated with the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. However, the printed postcard does not identify the ship as SS Paris, so this remains an unconfirmed collector attribution.
ITEM DETAILS
Artist: Léon Haffner
Printed Title: Paquebot Postal et Cargo
Subject: Passenger Liner and Cargo Steamship
Organization: Ligue Maritime et Coloniale Française
Address: 30 Boulevard des Capucines, Paris
Possible Ship: SS Paris, unconfirmed attribution
Associated Line: Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, attribution
Estimated Date: Circa 1920s
Era: Interwar
Type: Printed Color Illustrated Postcard
Real Photo Postcard: No
Artist Signature: Printed Within Image
Format: Divided Back
Language: French
Postal Status: Unposted and Unwritten
Original/Reprint: Original Period Postcard
Set Status: Single Card
Unit of Sale: Single Postcard
CONDITION
Fair-to-good antique condition with strong color.
SHIPPING
Ships protected in a postcard sleeve with rigid backing via Standard Envelope.
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