L’Assiette au Beurre (literally The Butter Plate, and roughly translating to the English expression pork barrel) was an illustrated French weekly satirical magazine with anarchist political leanings that was chiefly produced between 1901 and 1912. It was revived as a monthly for a time and ceased production in 1936.
Covers of L’Assiette au Beurre magazine in the 1900s
The magazine’s caricature and editorial cartoon content was drawn from a varied cadre of illustrator-contributors of many backgrounds and disparite artistic styles. The content often focused on socialist and anarchist ideas. The first series expired on 15 October 1912. A second series was published between 1921 and 1925 on a monthly basis, eventually becoming a single supplement.
L’Assiette au Beurre is a valuable iconographic testament of the Belle Époque (“Beautiful Era”) period in France, characterized by optimism, peace at home and in Europe, new technology and scientific discoveries.
Here is a vintage photo collection that shows covers of L’Assiette au Beurre magazine in the 1900s.
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