by Kate Lanxner, The HeARTful Blog
Welcome back to the HeARTful Blog. In this article we will focus on a gallery that many readers would surely enjoy visiting, in the popular Eaux-Vives neighborhood, not far from the Jet d’Eau. Maybe you have just relocated to Geneva, or maybe you are a long-time resident, a tourist, or just love art~ this is a must-see. Love to travel? Love art history? Love anything vintage?
Galerie 123 has one of the most extensive collections of vintage travel posters in the world. It has been a fixture here since 1983. I passed by it every day on my walk home to an apartment when living in Geneva. With colorful vintage posters gracing the windows, it beckoned me inside to take a look. The displayed art changes regularly and is quite eye-catching.(see photos). The gallery’s website also offers a virtual tour as well as a huge amount of information on the art, the history, printing methods, and styles.
Only originals are offered for sale. There is also a selection of vintage enameled signs, and advertising cartons, from the early part of the 20th century.
The gallery is a great place to treat yourself to a leisurely stroll through history. It’s inspiring to artists and art lovers. In my own experience I found the staff to be welcoming and knowledgeable.
How did it evolve?
The gallery’s owner, and artistic visionary, JD Clerc, explains that his whole journey of establishing his gallery began in 1977, when he made a startling surprise discovery under the floorboards of a home: several vintage posters had been used in the 1920’s for paper insulation. They depicted the latest model of a Renault racing car.
Since that time, JD has researched, traveled, and curated thousands more, He explains that the whole endeavor of the gallery is not only commercial, but educational; it plays a pivotal role in preserving a lost art form that has up to now been largely neglected. The posters are unique because they give us a window into the epoch during which they were created.
The gallery itself opened in 1983. Ten years later, with collaborator Robert Garvin, a studio was opened that continues to be devoted to the preservation and restoration of the posters. The International Vintage Poster Dealers Association (the IVPDA), of which JD is a founding member, continues the mission.
Poster photo credits: Galerie 123. “La Chablisienne” - The Chablis Woman By Henri Le Monnier, 1926; Left: By Johannes Emil Muller for the Lake Geneva Navigation Company.
Styles: With the explosion of tourist travel by rail in the late 19th century, in Switzerland and other parts of the Alps, the posters boosted ridership by
depicting scenic landscapes in a romantic style. The art form grew from there into Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Well known painters such as Matisse, Picasso, and more recently, Keith Haring, have contributed their talents to poster creation.
The gallery currently meets the needs of customers worldwide: at last count, 50 countries! It prides itself on the authenticity (a certificate is provided for all purchases), the condition, and the handling and shipping of these valuable works of art.
Pricing: A quick scroll of the catalogue posts art ranging from CHF 240.- to CHF 10,000.- Factors such as date, condition, style, and artist enter into the pricing.
Framing: The gallery does not offer framing services on-site, but offers suggestions to customers of framers in the region, who have been reliable and skilled with vintage art.
Prospective customers who are interested in perusing more of what is being offered on the walls for purchase, may be invited to look through the posters displayed in large-scale portfolio books. Keep in mind that most of these are much larger than the posters we are used to having on our walls. These striking graphic images could become the focal point of a room you are looking to highlight in your home.
Galerie 123
4, rue des Eaux-Vives
1207 Genève
Gallery telephone: 022 786 16 11
Office telephone: 022 786 88 33
Monday: closed or by appointment
Tuesday through Friday: 11h30-18h30
Saturday: 11h30-16h
All image credits: Galerie 123
Author's bio
Kate Lanxner
An American and former Geneva resident, an art teacher for more than 25 years, and a published illustrator. She currently teaches in Montgomery County, Maryland, outside of Washington D.C. in the U.S.
After graduating from art school, she traveled to Paris and took part in a printmaking program at Atelier Contrepoint (formerly Atelier 17) in color etching and engraving, directed by the late Stanley William Hayter. She has not only taken to making art, but sharing her knowledge through The HeARTful Blog.
