Louisiane Circa 1950

This original 1954 exhibition poster was created for Louisiane, an exhibition organised by the Cultural Relations Service of the United States Embassy in Paris. Held from 19 May to 12 June at 41 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the exhibition explored the history and cultural heritage of Louisiana.

The composition centres upon a reproduction of the early eighteenth-century map Lovisiana by de Rivier Missisippi, a Dutch title meaning “Louisiana along the Mississippi River.” Originally published circa 1720, the map follows the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico towards the Great Lakes and records settlements, waterways, forts and geographical regions known to European cartographers at the time.

The decorative cartouches, historical place names and delicately coloured waterways are framed by a restrained olive-green border. Monumental white lettering contrasts with the intricate cartography, creating an elegant meeting between early mapmaking and the clear, balanced graphic language of the 1950s.

The original map is closely associated with the Mississippi Company and the period of intense European interest in French Louisiana. Its inclusion gave the Paris exhibition a powerful historical centrepiece while evoking the longstanding cultural connections between France and the Mississippi region.

An unusual and highly decorative example of post-war Franco-American exhibition design, this original poster would make an excellent addition to a collection devoted to Louisiana, historical maps, the Mississippi River or mid-century cultural graphics.

Original Poster

Tourism - Map - Exhibition - United States

By the Mississippi River

Good condition, slight restorations