Explore Le Bon Marché collectibles from the private collection of Eugène Dubillon, including illustrated publicity cards, catalogues and personal family memorabilia. These pieces offer a glimpse into Parisian department-store history and the lives of the Dubillon family.
Browse the individual listings for each item’s date, dimensions, condition and accompanying documents. Below, Bruno Dubillon shares his family’s connection to Le Bon Marché in his own words.
All of the items here are from the private collection of Louis Eugène Dubillon who began his career with Le Bon Marché of Paris as a salesman in 1895 and rose to become a director of the company until he finally retired in 1937.
This wonderful collection is divided into sections:
1 Items personal to Eugène and Jeanne Dubillon
2 Sets of Publicity Cards collected by Eugène
A Personal Message from Bruno Dubillon
My name is Bruno Dubillon, and I am the great-grandson of Eugène Dubillon. Our family has been based in Paris for at least seven generations. My great-grandfather Eugène who started out as a salesperson in the "Bedding" department at Le Bon Marché in 1895; he later became the director of the entire textile division, which encompassed clothing, household linens, haberdashery, and lingerie. At the time, this sector generated massive revenue, as women were all somewhat skilled in sewing. It was at Le Bon Marché that he met his wife, Jeanne Legrain—a *Meilleure Ouvrière de France* (Best Craftsperson of France) in sewing and a *première main* (head seamstress) at a haute couture house—who used to come to the store to source materials.
Naturally, they were separated during the First World War (1914–1918); my great-grandfather served in the air force, which was his passion. They had a first son, Robert, followed by a daughter named Madeleine (who passed away at age two), another daughter also named Madeleine, and finally Pierre.
As you can see, Le Bon Marché employed highly sophisticated marketing strategies for that era to build customer loyalty. With every purchase, they gave out a "chromo" (collectible trade card) for children; the kids couldn't wait for their parents to return to the store so they could complete their sets. That is why complete collections are so rare: either parents wouldn't return right away and new collections would take their place, or the children would tear or lose the cards. Furthermore, all the other items in this collection are rare—if not unique.
I am getting older now, and I have no children or other family members interested in preserving this legacy.
It would give me great pleasure to pass our history on to you; it is part of our family heritage, but also our national heritage, given how department stores transformed the lives of us all. Thank you for your interest in this chapter of the history of Le Bon Marché and my family.
Yours sincerely,
Bruno Dubillon
