Contents of the collection

Liebig pictures are collectible pictures which were added to the packaging for "Liebig's Extract of Meat" products. The company was named after the German chemist Justus von Liebig (1803–1873). The first Liebig pictures were produced in 1875 in Paris when the Liebig's Extract of Meat Company set up its first advertising office there. The earliest pictures were printed as a series of up to 24 pictures, but were mostly given away individually. Giveaways of entire series reportedly started in 1880. By that time a series almost always consisted of 6 images of 105 to 110x70mm in size.

The Liebig Company was one of the first companies to give away serial images with its products. Leibig's collectible pictures were distributed in Germany from 1875 to 1940. Lavishly produced using chromolithographic printing techniques, mostly in 12 colours, the series were published on a wide variety of themes and in no systematic order.

The collection comprises 950 complete series (approx. 6,000 individual images) that provide a good basis for research on the image world characteristic of the late 19^th century.

Borrowing terms

Since they are extremely valuable, the images are not appropriate for lending and may only be viewed under supervision in the reading room of the Multimedia Centre. Photocopies of the images can be made only after signing a photocopy contract. Photocopies cost 20 cents per page. Photocopy contracts are issued and handed in in the Multimedia Centre.