I. Blanc et Rouge; II. Rose et Noir; III. Bleu Blanc Rose.

Paris: Nicolas, 1930-1932. Complete set of three important promotional publications for Nicolas, the wine merchant. 24 Art Deco illustrations in black and white by the artist Paul Iribe plus one in colour, single line border on each page in different colours for each issue. One of only 500 copies of each. Folios, in the original wrappers. Rubbing to extremities and inner joints of first volume starting, but generally very good.||Illustrated by one of the greatest 1930s French artists, Paul Iribe, this is a monument of its time and a great testament to French wine. The first album Blanc et Rouge lauds French wines int eh form of a dialogue between the new and old tradictions - American cocktails and the Jazz age versus wine and the traditional French pleasures. The remarkable images are full page black and white ‘30s illustrations of drinkers and wine.

Rose et Noir, the second volume, has large full page plates printed in black and pink designed around photographic ideas showing, rather threateningly, how the new cocktail age will doom the young of America to lives of depravity.

The third volume, Bleu Blanc Rose is pure French propaganda. The wrappers are the tricolour and it contains huge aggressively satirical folding plates dramatically depicting the evils of the politics caused by the national drinks of different countries. America is associated with water, due to prohibition, and megalomania, Russia with vodka and aggressive invasion, Germany with beer and the bad side of industrialisation and Britain with whisky and failing imperialism.
In contrast an idealized colour plate shows France in glorious technicolour depicting sunshine, peace and tranquillity due to the drinking of wine instead of other pernicious liquor.

An important Jazz Age artist, Iribe began his career creating cartoons and illustrations for French periodicals. He gained international prominence when he illustrated the first deluxe fashion album for Paul Poiret in 1908. The lure of the cinema brought him to America in 1914, where he worked for Cecil B. de Mille amongst others. About 15 years later he returned to France and continued to provide satirical illustrations for several books and periodicals as well as designed jewellry for Chanel until his death in 1935.|