Cadbury “Bourn-Vita” (France)

Price range: £150 through £195

27″ x 19″ poster, Cadbury Bourn-Vita (malted chocolate drink mix) in France

Shipping: £10 UK, £20 International
Dispatched in 2 days
Returns within 7 days

Shipping: £10 UK, £20 Int’l. Dispatched in 2 days. Returns within 7 days.

SKU: p1114 Category: Tag:

Description

A classic French-market Cadbury Bourn-Vita lithographic poster built around an oversized, softly airbrushed portrait: a blonde woman smiles while presenting a steaming cup, turning the product into an immediate, comforting ritual. The lower half shifts into a strong “ingredient” still-life: eggs, milk, a mixing bowl, wheat and a Bourn-Vita jar—reinforcing the period health-drink positioning and the idea of rebuilding strength through nourishment.

The copy is simple and memorable, using a repair metaphor: “Life wears you out… Cadbury repairs.” Paired with the bright, optimistic sky-blue ground and clean typography, the design reads as late-interwar/early-postwar commercial realism, typical of pantry and pharmacy-counter promotions.

“bon et fortifiant…” = “good and fortifying…”
“La vie use… CADBURY répare.” = “Life wears you out… Cadbury repairs.”
“BOURN-VITA prépare.” = “Bourn-Vita gets you ready / prepares you.”

Printed by Draeger Frères, Montrouge

Details

Dimensions 27 × 19 in
Linen Backed Yes, No
Subject Drink
Period 1940s
Country France

Condition:

  • Linen backed poster:
  • B+
  • Paper: Edge tears repaired, backed on linen.
  • Colour: Good saturation; minor wear consistent with age.
  • Restoration: Minor repairs, no retouching observed.
  • Unbacked poster:
  • B-
  • Paper: Edge tears
  • Colour: Good saturation; wear consistent with age; surface deterioration around face
  • Restoration: None

Comment:

  • Strong French slogan with “repair” health-tonic positioning
  • Large, charismatic portrait advertising with clean mid-century palette
  • Scarcer Cadbury Bourn-Vita material versus standard chocolate bar posters
  • Ingredient still-life (eggs/jar/bowl) adds period authenticity and charm