Alfred Beyl “Cycles A. Beyl” 1920s Advertising Poster

Powerful French advertising poster promoting Cycles A. Beyl and the racing achievements of track star Alfred Beyl, winner of the Six Days of Paris in 1925. The composition is strikingly direct. Beyl is shown from the front, charging straight toward the viewer on a track bicycle, his hands low on the bars, shoulders square, and eyes fixed ahead. The meticulous black line drawing emphasises his muscular arms and legs, as well as the clean geometry of his racing machine. Around him runs a fine ornamental border, and at the top, an elegant cartouche carries the script logo “Cycles A. Beyl”, anchoring the poster as a product advertisement.

The French text, printed in vivid red around the rider, reads almost like a personal manifesto. It explains that Alfred Beyl, who named his bicycle after himself, set himself the ambition of creating the most beautiful machine. He assures the reader that all his models for men and for women have been specially studied and refined, and that they offer every perfection one has the right to expect from the finest manufacture. In the lower block of text, the poster reminds buyers that Beyl has been a winner for twenty years on the velodromes of Europe and America, notably in Paris, where he collected numerous victories in individual races and in American-style Madison events. The key line proudly records him as “Vainqueur des Six Jours de Paris 1925,” a result he achieved with Dutch partner Piet van Kempen.

The copy is backed by Beyl’s real palmarès. Alfred Beyl, known as “Le Dragon,” was one of France’s leading track riders before the First World War, French national pursuit champion in 1910 and national sprint champion in 1911, and later a successful six-day rider. After his racing career, he opened a bicycle shop in Nevers in 1929 and ran it for decades.

With its intense head-on portrait, ornate branding, and promotional text drawn directly from a champion’s career, this poster is a superb example of 1920s French cycle advertising and an outstanding piece for any cycling collection.

This poster has been archivally and professionally linen-backed.

Virtually all original vintage posters of this era were viewed as temporary advertising and were printed on very thin paper. While expensive, linen backing is a conservation method used to mount, stabilize, preserve, and protect vintage posters so they can be displayed or framed without compromising value.

This poster is an original first printing, not a reproduction.

Year: 1920s
Artist: N/A
Bourges. – Imp. Ouvrière du Centre.

Size:  40.5 x 66 cm (16  x 26 inches) – Linen Backed Archival Mounting

Posters are sold unframed. Framed images are display ideas only.

This is a one-of-a-kind item; please review the photos carefully to determine the condition.

This item is listed on multiple platforms, and availability is subject to prior sale elsewhere.