« Esso »

While Jean Jacquelin is well known as the designer of dust jackets for numerous Presses de la Cité editions, he was also, and above all, a celebrated poster artist. Artistic director of the Step agency from 1929, he created numerous film posters from 1940 onward while continuing his work as a commercial artist across many sectors: automobiles (Peugeot, Delage, Simca, Buick, Fiat), energy (Antar, Esso, Shell), press and publishing (Paris-Soir, L’Intransigeant, Éditions Froissart, Presses de la Cité), fashion (Scandale, Magasin Le Printemps), brands and events (Crédit Foncier, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Coop, Vittel, Casino d’Enghien, Brandt, Champagne Mercier, Semaine du cinéma, Les Châteaux de la Loire), and tourism and travel (Air France, Aéropostale, Compagnie Transatlantique).

A major exhibition was devoted to him in 1993 at the Bibliothèque Forney, accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue (Jean Jacquelin affichiste et dessinateur publicitaire; Exposition Bibliothèque Forney, April 29–May 28, 1993).

Esso is a brand associated with the American oil company ExxonMobil: in 1911, the breakup of Standard Oil, founded by John D. Rockefeller, led to the formation of 34 independent companies (Mobil, Chevron…), some of which retained the right to use the Standard Oil name, which gradually became Esso (a phonetic contraction of S.O. and an acronym derived from the historic name Eastern States Standard Oil). The Esso oval became the group’s emblem in 1939, and the network expanded across France after the war; in 1972, the brand reverted to the name Exxon in the United States, but retained the Esso name for the rest of the world.

A unique piece, in fine condition, signed.