Lisieux Tourisme et Pelerinage Circa 1950

A Pastoral Invitation to the Heart of Normandy

This luminous mid-century travel poster for Lisieux—created by the artist Totsy Garcin around 1950—is a vivid and idealized call to pilgrimage and tourism in one of France’s most cherished spiritual towns. Rendered in bold, flat colors with striking Art Deco and modernist influences, the composition is both inviting and symbolic.

Dominating the scene is the unmistakable silhouette of the Basilica of Saint Thérèse, a sacred beacon perched above the pastoral hills of Normandy. Around it, stylized architecture, sloping green fields, and cherry-blossomed trees form a serene, almost storybook vision of the region’s charm and spirituality.

In the foreground, a Norman farmhouse with half-timbered detailing, a grazing cow, and rolling white fences ground the poster in the rural identity of the region—balancing the divine with the earthly. The poster’s sky, a brilliant cobalt blue, gives the whole scene a sense of calm and elevation, drawing the eye heavenward in keeping with the poster’s religious undertone.

Totsy Garcin’s signature, visible near the base, signals a touch of post-war optimism—a France rebuilding itself through beauty, culture, and spiritual renewal. Whether used to attract pilgrims to the hometown of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, or tourists exploring Normandy's heritage, the poster’s purpose is clear: to enchant, to elevate, and to beckon.

"Lisieux: Tourisme & Pèlerinage" remains a beloved example of French mid-century travel art—simple, bold, and spiritually resonant.

Normandy - Religion - Calvados - France

Printed by S. A. Courbet in Paris

Good condition, folds, a tear of two cm