Author: Wine Labels - Sample Book. Myncke Freres, Brussels.
Title: The printer's sample album of wine labels by Myncke Freres of Brussels.
Description: n.p. 1930s. Oblong quarto (230x315mm) flexible linen album with some 220 lithograph labels plus some neck labels and vintage dates (ranging from 1915 to 1937) mounted on both sides of 31 leaves. Nothing removed and all in great shape. ¶ This is an album to be shown to clients rather than a scrap book. There are numbers of labels for specific wineries and appellations, numbers more are for generic varieties or, in some case, unlettered altogether. All are signed Litho Myncke or initialled LM or MF. The Mynckes seem to have made something of a specialty of wine - a rummage round the internet finds a couple of large posters for champagne - and this album shows they had a fair reach across western Europe - France, Belgium, into Germany and includes some Port labels in English. The styles also range around, from the classic and restrained (it's hard to beat a modicum of gold on glazed midnight blue) to vibrantly modern to garish kitsch.

Keywords: wine graphic art c20th Belgium trade catalogue advertising colour printing alcohol specimens sample