Alfred Choubrac 1853-1902

Alfred Victor Choubrac, born on December 30, 1853, in La Chapelle and died in the 18th arrondissement of Paris on July 24, 1921, was a French painter, draughtsman, poster artist, and illustrator.

Alongside his older brother Léon Choubrac (who would later sign some of his works as “Hope”) Alfred trained under the painters Charles Doërr (1815–1894) and Isidore Pils. The “Choubrac brothers” turned to poster art early on, experimenting from 1875 with modern color techniques and typography combined with imagery through chromolithography. They initially collaborated primarily with the F. Appel printing house. Later, Léon and Alfred established the Ateliers Choubrac, temporarily housed at the G. Massias printing workshop at 17 Passage Daudin, one of Paris’s first graphic design studios, producing their own lithographic prints.

Alfred Choubrac specialized in posters for Parisian stage productions, including venues such as the Théâtre des Variétés, Théâtre du Châtelet, Folies Bergère, Opéra-Comique, Au Joyeux Moulin Rouge, Casino de Paris, Eldorado, and Cirque Fernando. He produced more than a hundred posters, placing him among the most significant poster artists of his time.

For the theater, he also designed numerous stage costumes. He created a number of book posters to promote popular works or collections. He produced commercial posters for brands including the digestif La Moscovite, Humber bicycles, Beeston tires, Eau d’Or Naigeon, unbreakable Baleinine corsets, Mokatine, Decauville bicycles, Burgeatine liqueur, and the Saint-Ponchon racecourse.

As a press illustrator, he occasionally collaborated with his brother Léon for publications such as Gil Blas or Le Courrier français, among others.
Around 1895, he maintained a studio in Colombes at 17 Rue de la Reine-Henriette.