Tour Eiffel pendule - L'artiste amateur Circa 1920

This original circa 1920 paper model sheet, titled "Tour Eiffel Pendule", was published as part of the celebrated L'Artiste Amateur series by J. N. Jacques. Intended for hobbyists and craft enthusiasts, it provided all the precisely printed components needed to construct an elegant paper model of the Eiffel Tower incorporating a decorative pendulum clock. Today, surviving examples are exceptionally scarce and represent a fascinating intersection of graphic design, architecture, education, and early twentieth-century leisure culture.

Printed in striking blue ink on cream paper, the sheet displays the meticulously numbered sections required to assemble the model. Alongside the central illustration of the completed Eiffel Tower appear highly detailed structural elements, Gothic-inspired latticework, and assembly guides, reflecting both the precision of industrial engineering and the decorative sensibilities of the Belle Époque. The overall composition possesses a remarkable visual appeal, making the sheet as attractive as an unassembled artwork as it was as a practical construction guide.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, paper architecture enjoyed enormous popularity throughout Europe. Publishers issued elaborate cut-out models of monuments, buildings, machinery, and decorative objects that encouraged creativity while teaching geometry, engineering, and manual craftsmanship. The L'Artiste Amateur series became one of the best-known French collections devoted to this growing pastime, offering increasingly sophisticated designs for amateur builders.

The featured model transforms Gustave Eiffel's iconic tower into a functional decorative object by incorporating a pendulum clock within its structure. The project demonstrates the fascination with the Eiffel Tower that continued long after its inauguration at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, when it evolved from a controversial engineering feat into one of France's defining national symbols. By the 1920s, the tower had become an instantly recognizable icon of Parisian modernity, inspiring countless artistic, educational, and commercial creations.

Published by J. N. Jacques, whose editions circulated widely among hobbyists across France and Belgium, the sheet includes multilingual instructions and references to the publisher's broader catalogue of architectural paper models. Such publications were designed to be cut apart and assembled, making complete, unused examples particularly uncommon today. Their survival in original condition greatly enhances both their historical importance and collector appeal.

Beyond its practical purpose, this sheet is a beautiful example of early twentieth-century graphic design. The harmonious arrangement of decorative motifs, ornamental typography, and architectural precision reflects the aesthetics of the period while celebrating one of the world's greatest engineering achievements. It appeals equally to collectors of Eiffel Tower memorabilia, architectural drawings, paper toys, educational prints, and Art Deco-era design.

Today, original L'Artiste Amateur model sheets are appreciated not only as rare ephemera but also as works of graphic art in their own right. This Tour Eiffel Pendule issue offers a unique glimpse into the ingenuity, craftsmanship, and fascination with modern architecture that characterized the early twentieth century.

Original Poster

Architecture - Games - Advertising - Belgium

Number 245 - Cutting game

Printed by J. N. Jacques in Liège

Good condition, creases