CASSANDRE by the Estate of A.M.CASSANDRE
THE ADVERTISING BROCHURE :
'LE SPECTACLE EST DANS LA RUE' (The Show Is in the Street)
‘ THE STREET, the street of Paris, is undoubtedly one of the most prodigious spectacles imaginable. When you see today's life passing by, when you are caught up in its whirlwind, when you realise at every step that the buildings, the palaces, the shop windows and the shops are changing every day, that the cars, the aeroplanes, even the old railways and the gigantic ocean liners are renewing their shapes and colours at least once a year, that not only has the traditional decor of cities been transformed and turned upside down, but that even the manners, customs and habits of society are evolving at a new pace, so that for just a few decades now even the most homely city dweller has been driving, flying and travelling - it is legitimate to ask who are the instigators and architects of such a metamorphosis?
A.M.CASSANDRE is one of these men, and I am grateful to him for having discovered in advertising the flower of contemporary life, for having understood that it was an affirmation of optimism and health, the warmest manifestation of the vitality of today's people, of their power, their childishness, their gift for invention and imagination; I am grateful to Cassandre for having been not only a painter, but above all one of the most fervent animators of modern life: the first director of LA RUE. ’
Blaise Cendrars, preface to 'Le Spectacle est dans la rue'
by A.M.Cassandre, Draeger Frères, Paris, 1935
"LE SPECTACLE EST DANS LA RUE" BY A.M.CASSANDRE (1935-1936)
An artistic testament of the modern age
"Le Spectacle est dans la rue" constitutes one of the most remarkable editorial creations of the interwar period. Published by Draeger Frères between 1935 and 1936, this album-manifesto brings together fifteen of the most emblematic posters by Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, known as Cassandre, accompanied by a visionary text by Blaise Cendrars.
A true masterpiece of advertising art, this brochure transcends the simple collection to become a hymn to urban modernity and a striking testimony to the Art Deco era.
I. HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND GENESIS OF THE WORK
The year 1935 marks the pinnacle of collaboration between Cassandre and the Draeger Frères printing house. This publication occurs at a pivotal moment when the poster artist, now recognized as the undisputed master of advertising graphics, seeks to legitimize his art to a broader public. As Blaise Cendrars writes in his prophetic preface: "THE STREET, the street of Paris is undoubtedly one of the most prodigious spectacles imaginable".
This tribute brochure is part of the movement to recognize advertising art as an artistic discipline in its own right. It echoes Cassandre's own theories, who declared: "The poster is not, must not be, like a painting, a unique specimen intended to satisfy the jealous love of a single more or less enlightened amateur; it must be a series object reproduced in thousands of copies".
II. ICONOGRAPHIC RICHNESS AND VISUAL HERITAGE
The album brings together Cassandre's most famous creations, true icons of the modern era:
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"Au Bûcheron" (1923): first major work awarded the Grand Prize at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in 1925
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The triptych "Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet" (1932): semantic revolution of advertising posters, where a stylized character progressively gains color to the rhythm of his tasting
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"Étoile du Nord" (1927): masterpiece of cubist perspective, Grand Prize for posters in 1927
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"Normandie" (1935): hymn to maritime modernity and French technical power
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Creations for Nicolas: coherent ensemble illustrating the artist's graphic mastery
These fifteen plates, lithographed in black and colors, constitute an exhaustive panorama of Cassandre's stylistic evolution, from his first geometric experiments to his mastery of advertising hyperrealism.
III. TYPOGRAPHIC INNOVATION AND LAYOUT
The work is distinguished by its revolutionary approach to typography. The Draeger brothers, genius printers, orchestrate an exceptional chromatic ballet by declining Cendrars' text in three colors: green, red, and black. This polychromy is not ornamental but functional, creating a visual hierarchy that guides reading and amplifies the message's impact.
The black spiral binding, a technical innovation for the era, allows easy handling of the album while conferring formal modernity in harmony with the spirit of the reproduced creations. The title, partially embossed and partially printed in chromatic superposition, creates a striking relief effect that anticipates contemporary editorial design research.
IV. LITERARY AND CRITICAL DIMENSION
Blaise Cendrars' text elevates this publication to the rank of aesthetic manifesto. The writer-traveler, privileged witness to the mutations of his era, recognizes in Cassandre "one of the most fervent animators of modern life: the first director of THE STREET".
This formula, which became legendary, consecrates the artist as a prophetic figure of the emerging consumer society.
Cendrars develops a penetrating reflection on the transformation of the urban landscape: "When you see today's life passing by, when you are caught up in its whirlwind, when you realize at every step that the buildings, palaces, shop windows and shops are changing every day". This avant-garde sociological analysis identifies the creative forces of urban modernity.
V. HISTORICAL RESONANCE AND POSTERITY
"Le Spectacle est dans la rue" crystallizes the spirit of a bygone era while anticipating the visual codes of mass society. The work testifies to that blessed period of the interwar years when technological optimism and faith in progress found their most accomplished expression in advertising art.
The collaboration between Cassandre and Cendrars perfectly illustrates this synthesis between artistic avant-garde and popular culture that characterizes the 1930s. As the artist himself observes: "The poster demands complete renunciation from the painter. He cannot express himself in it; if he could, he would not have the right to do so".
VI. HERITAGE VALUE AND INFLUENCE
Today preserved in the most prestigious institutions (Metropolitan Museum, Bibliothèque nationale de France), this album remains an essential reference for graphic design historians and contemporary practitioners. Its market value, which regularly reaches several thousand euros at auctions, testifies to its heritage recognition.
The influence of this publication extends far beyond the circle of collectors. It has inspired generations of graphic designers, from Raymond Savignac to the contemporary French school, and continues to fuel reflection on the relationship between art and mass communication.
CONCLUSION
"Le Spectacle est dans la rue" transcends the simple collection of posters to become a total art object, perfect synthesis between graphic innovation, typographic excellence, and literary vision. This creation testifies to the golden age of French posters and the visionary genius of A.M. Cassandre, prophet of the image society that would revolutionize the 20th century.
As Blaise Cendrars wrote with remarkable prescience: "Cassandre has been [...] one of the most fervent animators of modern life". This formula resonates today with particular acuity, at a time when advertising imagery reigns as absolute master over our urban landscapes and collective imagination.