This champagne-themed menu card is dated circa 1891 to 1903 and was blank, ready to be written or printed upon, perhaps for a hotel or a private party. It shows the celebratory nature of champagne and what happens when one celebrates a bit too much. It has been beautifully painted by the artist in two columns.
The gentleman in red is wearing hunting attire, the small-waisted lady is probably a showgirl, the female minstrel is also an entertainer and the gentleman in his evening finery has obviously had his fill of bubbly.
The labels on the champagne bottles show the name Mercier, one of the world’s most famous champagnes. Domaine Champagne Mercier, produced in the Epernay region of France – home to many of the most celebrated champagne houses – was founded in1858 by Eugene (accent on the first e) Mercier.
A master of showmanship and marketing, his great idea was to make champagne a drink for ordinary people celebrating special occasions.
Mercier also had an innate understanding of how to promote his product.
He ordered the construction of the world’s largest wine barrel – a Cathedral of Champagne – that was estimated to hold 250,000 bottles. He organized trips for customers in a Mercier-branded hydrogen balloon above Paris and he shot the first-ever film that showed the champagne production process. He died in 1904..