So here we have a graphic portrayal of why not to shelter beneath a tree in a storm. Now you might immediately think that this picture just demonstrates the fact that if the lightning hits the tree in a strategic spot a branch may fall, and that is indeed correct. But if you look at the actual picture you might think again, that the lightning has hit the trunk of the tree and made it split. In fact what has probably happened is the worst case scenario, when the tree can actually explode after the lightning strikes, due to the immense heat of the lightning bolt, which does not set fire to the wood but instead heats the sap and any other liquids inside the tree, to the point that they turn to steam. And if the steam cannot get out of the tree by means of a convenient hole it makes its own way out, by blowing the tree apart..
This is a very intriguing card, because if you look in our index you will see that this set has been featured before, in pur newsletter for the 6th of July 2024, as the card for Friday the 12th of July.
However, if you take a closer look you will find that our version has a straight frame, not one decorated with circles around each corner. More than that, our card for today is Serie XXIV, whereas the other is Serie XXVII. But most importantly, our is only named for three companies, "Peter, Cailler, Kohler", whilst the other version is Peter, Cailler, Kohler, Nestle. In addition, the top line of the heading is also different, ours reading "Edite par les chocolats" here and the other version reading "Album Chocolats" in that space.
We also know that this set was issued with only the Cailler name, with the top border holding the title "Les Phenomenes de la Nature, the title of the card in the picture, and the bottom part of the picture being a black solid sayin "Cailler`s Chocolats Fins". This set is serie XVII
What we do know is that in 1904 Chocolat Kohler and Chocolat Peter agreed to go into business as a partnership, and the company was renamed Peter, Kohler. Then in 1911 they merged with another chocolate maker, Alexandre Cailler. Now this is interesting because that new company was called Peter, Cailler, Kohler, which suggests that perhaps Peter might have bought out Kohler, because Cailler is put in front of their name, and if Peter and Kohler had been running a combined company Cailler would have probably been tacked on at the end and gone last.
Anyway this means our card today must date from 1911 at the earliest. And it is no later than 1929 which is when Peter, Cailler, Kohler were bought out by Nestle. So that means that the other version, with the Nestle name on, has to date from after 1929.