This records the pioneering, but ill-fated, international race of 1903. The first motor race was run from Paris to Rouen in 1894. But there was strong official resistance to racing on public roads, thereafter. Only persistent lobbying by manufacturers eventually led to a reluctant change of heart. They argued such a race offered huge promotional potential for an industry now employing thousands of workers. The race attracted around 300 entrants, of which over 200 actually set off, starting in the gardens of Versailles at 3.30 am on Sunday, 24th May. Such was the lack of experience in planning such a vast event, staged over a course of 1307 km, that the lack of crowd control and failure to anticipate the amount of blinding dust stirred up led to numerous accidents and injuries, as well as around a dozen fatalities. Following emergency government intervention, both French and Spanish, the race was abandoned at Bordeaux. At that stage, Fernand Gabriel was in 3rd place, driving one of the four Mors cars with their powerful 90hp engines, capable of achieving 140kph.

Ernest Montaut (1878-1909) was an innovative French poster designer whose all-too-short career captured the exhilarating new world of motorised transport, whether in the air, on the water, or especially at high speed on the ground. He introduced the stylistic conceits of close horizontal lines and forward-leaning perspective in his vehicles, for instance, to exaggerate the sense of rapid motion. This period from the mid-1890s saw not only the rapid evolution of the motor car, but also the application of the internal combustion engine to boat design, as well as being fundamental in making possible the whole new concept of powered flight.

Montaut was joined in this endeavour by his wife, Marguerite (1883-1936), who expanding the range of earlier motoring posters to include aviation. She occasionally signed herself as M. Montaut, but more often as Gamy, an anagram of her familiar name, Magy. Following her husband's untimely death at the age of only 31, Marguerite continued their good work in the same distinctive and highly appealing style. This centred on the bold flat colours of the pochoir printing technique they mastered so well. Outlines and any text were printed lithographically, then corresponding stencils carefully prepared to allow in-filling by hand in watercolour and gouache, employing a number of artists for the purpose, leading to subtle variations in colour in each painstaking example, often taking days to complete. It is this combination of factors that gives these highly attractive prints their superlative quality.


Hand-coloured pochoir print, 45 x 90.5 cm., laid on board.