Box Label, 1901 Francis Marbois, Louisiana Purchase, Antique Ephemera, Inner Label, Lithograph, NOS

This inner box label commemorates François de Barbé-Marbois, the French treasury minister who negotiated the 1803 Louisiana Purchase — the largest land acquisition in American history.

• Maker: Spector Bros
• Subject: François de Barbé-Marbois
• Material: Paper, lithograph, gilded and embossed
• Dimensions: 10.0" wide | 6.5" tall
• Era: Antique, 1901–1911
• Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Condition: New Old Stock (NOS), unused. Light rippling on right side, noted for collectors. Light tanning on reverse only — face vivid and pristine. Please review photos closely before purchasing, as all sales are final.

Frame it for a study, a library, a home office, or alongside other American and French history memorabilia. At 10.0 by 6.5 inches it fits a standard 11x7 or 11x8.5 frame beautifully — a genuinely commanding piece of wall art. A wonderful gift for an American history enthusiast, a Louisiana history collector, a French-American history collector, or anyone who appreciates extraordinary commercial art with genuine historical significance.

This label was produced between 1901 and 1911 by Spector Bros of Chicago — the title and design owned by that firm, as marked on the piece itself. The larger of two Marbois labels made for this line, it features a generous portrait of François de Barbé-Marbois encircled by laurel leaves, the ancient symbol of victory and honor. Barbé-Marbois (1745–1837) was born in Metz, France and served as a French diplomat, colonial administrator, and politician. As Napoleon's Minister of the Treasury, he was the French negotiator in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 — the transaction that transferred 828,000 square miles of North American territory from France to the United States for approximately $15 million, doubling the size of the young nation overnight. Spector Bros was a printing and lithography company in Chicago, active from approximately 1901 through at least 1911, known for producing fine commercial labels and prints of exceptional quality.

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