Chromos
If you are looking for the Liebig sets and chromos auction, click here.
What do you do when you have collected all the cigarette cards sets you want or can afford? One answer is to start collecting rarer (and more expensive) types from earlier sets. However, if you prefer something a bit more substantial for your money and still want beautifully presented cards, you could look into chromolithographs or chromos. A large number of sets on many varied subjects were issued in the UK and Europe over a similar time period as cigarette cards. The Liebig extract of meat company issued many series from the 1880s in many languages for distribution in Europe and many other companies such as Au Bon Marche and Chocolat d'Aiguebelle in France and Stollwerck in Germany issued sets of chromo cards to their customers. The Liebig cards were often issued as sets of six and it is relatively easy to find complete sets, even of issues from the 1890s. Earlier series were issued as single cards and are much harder (and expensive) to find. Cards issued by companies such as d'Aiguebelle run to larger sets and were issued singly with bars of chocolate. These sets tend to be harder to complete.
On this page, we show some examples of Liebig and other chromo issues. If there are any particular subjects you are interested in not pictured here, let us know. Common themes depicted on Liebig cards are the arts, opera, history, buildings, places, animals, etc.
Note that these were all issued as sets of six. Just a couple of cards from each series are pictured and many other subjects are available.
Aiguebelle issued some beautiful cards, especially the Natural History series. A few examples are pictured.
| Les Crustaces | |
| Acanthe Chinus | |
| Acanthosome | |
| Calappe Granule | |
| Corycee Gracieux | |
| Homolodromie | |
| Ibacus | |
| Langouste | |
| Limule | |
| Lucifer et le Cyclope | |
| Lupa | |
| Parthenope | |
| Ranine | |
| Zoontocharis | |
| Quels sont les Bons et Mauvais Champignons (horizontal) | |
| Bolet Ou Cepe/Bolet Jaune | |
| Clavaires | |
| Oronge/Fausse Oronge | |
| Quels sont les Bons et Mauvais Champignons (vertical) | |
| Amanite Rougeatre | |
| Armillaire Bulbeuse | |
| Laccaria Vernisse | |
| Lenzite Flasque | |
| Lepiote En Bouclier | |
| Pholiote Ecailleux | |
| Russule Verdoyante | |
| Strophaire Vert De Gris | |
| Tricholome Ardent | |
| Tricholome Equestre | |
| Tricholome Russule | |
| Volvaire Gluante | |
| Le Monde des Mammiferes | |
| Acronote/Cynictis | |
| Ane/Furet | |
| Apar Mataco/Agouti | |
| Baleine/Dauphin | |
| Boselaphe/Mangue | |
| Caberu/Zorille | |
| Cephalophe/Gnou | |
| Cercomys/Margay | |
| Chat Des Pampas/Chinchilla | |
| Chevrotain/Buansu | |
| Cladobate/Once | |
| Coudou/Mangouste Rayee | |
| Cryptoprocte/Dromadaire | |
| Cyclothure/Tapir | |
| Daim/Hermine | |
| Enhydre Marine/Ondatra Musque | |
| Gymnure/Boeuf Gaur | |
| Hamster/Muscardin | |
| Helamys Cafre/Porc-Epic | |
| Inia/Chironecte | |
| Jaguar/Philander | |
| Koala Cendre/Echidne | |
| Kobe/Aye-Aye | |
| Marte Zibeline/Panthere Noire | |
| Mocroscelide/Oryx | |
| Oreotrague/Protele | |
| Paca Brun/Blatocere | |
| Phascolome/Lagorcheste | |
| Porc/Cobaye | |
| Psammomys/Genette | |
| Puma/Moufette | |
| Roussette/Antechine | |
| Spalax/Mouton | |
| Spermophile/Bassaris | |
| Springbock/Suricate | |
| Tatou/Tamanoir | |
| Tetracere/Helarcte | |
| Tragule/Axis | |
| Vigogne/Capromys | |
| Vison/Sanglier | |
| A Travers les Flots | |
| Baleine/Marsouin | |
| Blageon/Vanoise/Alose Commune | |
| Carassin Dore/Barbeau | |
| Cycloptere/Lotte | |
| Dactyloptere Volant/Chabot De Mer | |
| Daurade/Archer | |
| Fera/Epinoche Aiguillonnee | |
| Gardon/Cotte Chabot/Vairon | |
| Grondon (Rouget)/Hareng | |
| Hemiramphe/Pelor | |
| Limande/Barbue | |
| Poulpe/Seiche | |
| Voilier/Espadon | |
