1918 Switzerland Cafader & Co. Basel illust. Letterhead Bally Shoe Distributor For Sale

Description:
Originalillustrated Swiss invoice (“Factura”)dated25 May 1918, issued byCafader & Co. A.G., Basel, Switzerland.
Printed on cream wove paper, this attractive billhead features a fineengraved vignette of the company’s large multi-story factory and officeson Reichensteinerstrasse, with horse-drawn carts and staff visible in front.

The top heading includes elegant black typography in mixed Art Nouveau and early Art Deco styles, with the text:

“Schuhwaren en gros – Spezialität: Bally-Artikel”
(Wholesale footwear – Specialty: Bally products)

Cafader & Co. were major distributors forBally, Switzerland’s renowned luxury shoe brand, founded in 1851.

• Company:Cafader & Co. A.G. (Aktiengesellschaft), Basel, Switzerland

• Date:25 May 1918

• Customer:Herr Kipfer-Bichsel, Grosshöchstetten (Switzerland)

• Transaction:11 pairs of men’s shoes (Mannsschuhe, sizes 40–47)

• Amount:Fr. 341.40 after 1% discount

• Printing:Black and gray engraved vignette, purple typed entries, and black handwritten notations

• Dimensions:Approx. 8.25 × 11.5 in (21 × 29 cm)

• Paper:Thin cream ledger stock with blue ruling

• Condition:Fine — clean and crisp with minor age tone at left margin, no tears or creases, excellent impression of the factory engraving.

• Cafader & Co. A.G.was one of Basel’s leadingshoe wholesalersin the early 20th century, distributingBallyfootwear throughout Switzerland and neighboring countries.
  TheBally brand, noted here as the firm’s “Spezialität,” was synonymous with fine Swiss craftsmanship and luxury footwear, and remained a cornerstone of Basel’s export economy.

  This invoice, issued near the end ofWorld War I, reflects Switzerland’s thriving neutral-era trade industry and the continued success of its textile and footwear sectors.
  The engraved factory vignette, complete with street scene, is an outstanding example ofSwiss industrial lithographyand design precision from the period.

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