Les Cartes Porcelaine of the Mid 19th Century

A unique type of advertising trade card was popular in Europe, mostly Belgium, between 1840 and 1865. These cards were produced with a coating of a white lead substance that gave them a lustrous appearance and feel, resembling porcelain. As attractive as these cards were, producing them oftentimes resulted in lead poisoning for the printers, so few were produced after 1865. "Les cartes porcelaine" were created for a wide variety of products and services, including dentists, and are desirable collectibles to this day.