Vintage Cabaret Poster

A vintage cabaret poster is a retro artistic creation, generally large in size, characterized by elegant visuals, bright colors, and stylized typography, intended to promote cabaret performances, highlighting glamour, music, dance, and the entertainment of past eras.

What is a cabaret?

Cabarets appeared in France in the middle of the 19th century. The name comes from the Turkish kharabat (“خربات”). It was during the Belle Époque (end of the 19th century-1914) that these places experienced growing success with the appearance of concert cafés. Unlike a simple café, Le cabaret has the particularity of offering not only drinks and meals but also entertainment: Dances, comedies and shows of all kinds are on the program of Parisian cabarets. Because it is in the French capital that the greatest cabarets are born. Their expansion increased during the Roaring Twenties when all of Paris gathered in these places of entertainment and pleasure. The prices being relatively cheap, it is a crossroads of different populations: the aristocrat then meets the bourgeois who himself rubs shoulders with the worker without class divide.

What are the most famous cabarets?

Among the most famous Parisian cabarets we will remember:

Paradis Latin is one of the oldest Parisian cabarets - it opened its doors in 1802 under Napoleon Bonaparte.

Le Chat Noir which opened its doors in the Montmartre district in 1881 under the direction of Rodolphe Salis. This cabaret had significant success in its time, staging numerous shows and concerts and attracting many personalities. Aristide Bruant was notably one of the stars of Le Chat Noir.

The Moulin-Rouge was also one of the most famous cabarets of the time. It was founded in 1889 by the Catalan Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, who already owned the Olympia.

Finally, the Folies Bergère cabaret was an essential place for Parisian nights. Like many café-concerts, Les Folies Bergère presented varied acts: singers and dancers, jugglers and clowns, etc. were shown. There we saw sensational characters and acrobats (like the famous tightrope walker Ella Zuila ). The cabaret also offered circus acts which amazed the spectators, attracted above all by the danger (in fact, it happened that the lions killed the tamer).

But there are a plethora of others that we won't detail here: Casino de Paris, La Scala, Hell etc...

Who are the artists who created cabaret posters?

Here is a list of artists who created advertising posters for Parisian cabarets at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century:

• Jules Chéret (1836-1932) is considered the father of the modern poster. He was one of the first to use color lithography to create dynamic and colorful posters. His posters for Parisian cabarets, such as the Moulin Rouge and the Jardin de Paris, became icons of the Belle Époque.
• Henri from Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) was a post-impressionist artist who created numerous posters for Parisian cabarets, including the Moulin Rouge, the Divan Japonese and the Mirliton. His posters are known for their expressionist style and their depiction of Parisian nightlife.
• Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923) was an Art Nouveau artist who created numerous posters for Parisian cabarets, including the Chat Noir, the Moulin Rouge and the Élysée-Montmartre. His posters are known for their bright colors and their depiction of daily Parisian life.
• Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was an Art Nouveau artist who created numerous posters for Parisian cabarets, including the Moulin Rouge and the Divan Japonese. His posters are known for their floral motifs and stylized female figures.
• Georges de Feure (1868-1943) was an Art Nouveau artist who created numerous posters for Parisian cabarets, including the Moulin Rouge and the Chat Noir. His posters are known for their bright colors and geometric patterns.
• Charles Gesmar (1900-1928) was an Art Deco artist who created numerous posters for Parisian cabarets, including Bal Tabarin and Lapin Agile. His posters are known for their geometric style and bright colors.
• Cassandra (1901-1968) was an Art Deco artist who created numerous posters for Parisian cabarets, including the Moulin Rouge and the Lido. His posters are known for their graphic style and bright colors.

Where can you buy Cabaret posters?

Postervintage.fr offers a wide selection of vintage cabaret posters and posters.

Relive the mood and atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties with our high-end reproductions of the greatest cabaret advertising posters .

All our vintage cabaret posters are printed in High Definition then printed on high-end paper (230gr/m2) - each print is checked manually then carefully packaged in kraft paper. We offer several formats to perfectly adapt the size of your cabaret poster to your decoration: small format cabaret poster (20x30cm), medium format cabaret poster (30x40cm and 40x60cm) and large format cabaret poster (50x70cm, 60x90cm and 84x119cm).

What are the most famous vintage cabaret posters?

1. Vintage cabaret poster “ The Tour of the Black Cat ” by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen is certainly one of the best-known cabaret posters.
2. Vintage cabaret poster Folies Bergère - Yvette Violette : a superb retro poster of a famous French singer performing at the Folies Bergère.
3. Vintage cabaret poster “Mistinguett” by Charles Gesmar - Mistingett was a famous French artist at the beginning of the 20th century: dancer, singer, actress, who took her first steps at the Moulin Rouge.
4. Vintage cabaret poster “ Bal au Moulin Rouge ” by Jules Chéret. A representation of the famous cabaret by the master of the Poster”, Jules Chéret.
5. Vintage cabaret poster “ Josephine Baker ” by Jean Chassaing - Joséphine Baker was one of the French icons of the French music hall in the 1930s.

Use a vintage cabaret poster for decoration

How to decorate with a cabaret poster?

Decoration is always the main object when purchasing a poster or poster. Acquiring a poster or a cabaret poster allows you to breathe a special atmosphere into a room in your home: it's the time of the Roaring Twenties, of music hall stars, of joie de vivre.

Where should I position my vintage cabaret poster?

• Location : Think about where you want to display your vintage cabaret poster or display in your house or apartment: Living room, Bedroom, Office...it's up to you to decide.
• Format : Determine the format of your cabaret poster. at Poster Vintage we offer several formats - from small format (20x30cm) to medium format (50x70cm) and large format (89x110cm).
• Frame : With or without frame; it's a personal choice - you can decide to adorn the cabaret poster with a wooden frame which will protect it. If you are in a hurry, or prefer a minimalist style, then hang your cabaret poster or wall poster directly using a fixing accessory such as double-sided tape or patafix.