The birth of an iconic brand. Founded in 1854, Louis Vuitton was an trailblazer from the start, designing his trianon canvas trunks to be not only lightweight and waterproof, but stackable. These innovations, however, led – almost from the very inception of the company – to a host of imitations and knock-offs. So by 1876, Vuitton created the striped design seen on this card in order to help distinquish his brand, the beginning of a process that culminated in 1888 with the development of the Damier pattern that remains the cornerstone of the company’s look to this day. The card dates to approximately 1885, listing the addresses of Louis Vuitton’s iconic Paris store at 1, rue Scribe, which opened in 1871 in the fashionable district around the Place de l’Opéra; also listed is the London store at 289 Oxford Street – the company’s first overseas – which was opened in 1885, but closed after only a few years in favour of new premises in the Strand. A rare and early example of a trade card from one of the most famous and enduring brands in history, capturing the transition to its signature and defining visual identity.

$2,500