| The Virtual Absinthe Museum |
| Absinthe history, literature, art and antiques |
The Virtual Absinthe Museum showcases the Oxygénée collection of
absinthiana - a vast range of original artifacts documenting every aspect
of the history of La Fee Verte, from its use as a medicinal elixir in
ancient times, to its heyday as a fashionable aperitif in the 19th century
and its prohibition at the beginning of the 20th.
Here you'll find examples of the rarest and most beautiful absinthe
spoons, glasses that glow green because of their uranium content,
absinthe fountains, carafes and pitchers, art nouveau-style advertising
cartons and posters, catalogues, invoices and ephemera from the leading
absinthe distillers, books, journals and newspapers of every description,
propaganda from the anti-absinthe temperance movement, and
counter-propaganda from the equally passionate supporters of the Green
Fairy - the whole fabled history of absinthe is here.
absinthiana - a vast range of original artifacts documenting every aspect
of the history of La Fee Verte, from its use as a medicinal elixir in
ancient times, to its heyday as a fashionable aperitif in the 19th century
and its prohibition at the beginning of the 20th.
Here you'll find examples of the rarest and most beautiful absinthe
spoons, glasses that glow green because of their uranium content,
absinthe fountains, carafes and pitchers, art nouveau-style advertising
cartons and posters, catalogues, invoices and ephemera from the leading
absinthe distillers, books, journals and newspapers of every description,
propaganda from the anti-absinthe temperance movement, and
counter-propaganda from the equally passionate supporters of the Green
Fairy - the whole fabled history of absinthe is here.
Absinthe Spoons
The quintessential absinthe accoutrement - perforated spoons for holding the sugar cube over the glass. Usually made from
plated brass, tin or nickel, they are found in an extraordinarily wide range of designs.
The quintessential absinthe accoutrement - perforated spoons for holding the sugar cube over the glass. Usually made from
plated brass, tin or nickel, they are found in an extraordinarily wide range of designs.
Absinthe Glasses
Glasses with marked reservoirs at the base for holding the absinthe dose.
Glasses with marked reservoirs at the base for holding the absinthe dose.
Absinthe Fountains
Found in larger cafes or bistrots, these water dispensers allowed up to 6 absinthes to be prepared simultaneously.
Found in larger cafes or bistrots, these water dispensers allowed up to 6 absinthes to be prepared simultaneously.
Vintage Absinthe Bottles
Vintage absinthe bottles, some still sealed with their original contents.
Vintage absinthe bottles, some still sealed with their original contents.
Brouilleurs
Also known as mixers or individual fountains, these sat on top of the glass and held both sugar and iced water.
Also known as mixers or individual fountains, these sat on top of the glass and held both sugar and iced water.
Carafes & Topettes
Water carafes specifically made for the absinthe ritual, together with the distinctive measured topettes used for pouring the
correct absinthe dose.
Water carafes specifically made for the absinthe ritual, together with the distinctive measured topettes used for pouring the
correct absinthe dose.
Pichets
Earthenware or majolica water jugs for use with absinthe, often in the fanciful zoomorphic designs popular at the time.
Earthenware or majolica water jugs for use with absinthe, often in the fanciful zoomorphic designs popular at the time.
Pyrogenes
The ubiquitous matchstrikers found on every Belle Epoque cafe table, some with a bell in the base to summon the waiter.
The ubiquitous matchstrikers found on every Belle Epoque cafe table, some with a bell in the base to summon the waiter.
Other Absinthiana
Spoon-holders, advertising mats for card or dice games, an absinthe-prohibition bell in the shape of a devil and a
remarkable brass absinthe glass and spoon that presages Picasso's famous Cubist sculpture.
Spoon-holders, advertising mats for card or dice games, an absinthe-prohibition bell in the shape of a devil and a
remarkable brass absinthe glass and spoon that presages Picasso's famous Cubist sculpture.
Posters & Advertising Cartons
Large lithographic advertising posters for the absinthe grand marques, together with the smaller cardboard-backed posters
designed for indoor use. Also a range of pro and anti-absinthe propaganda posters.
Large lithographic advertising posters for the absinthe grand marques, together with the smaller cardboard-backed posters
designed for indoor use. Also a range of pro and anti-absinthe propaganda posters.
Lithographic Tins
Lithographed tin signs advertising absinthe.
Lithographed tin signs advertising absinthe.
Books & Journals
Manufacturer's catalogues, pro and anti-absinthe tracts, scientific reports, distillation guides, satirical journals, French
poetry, English fiction and early printed works referring to absinthe.
Manufacturer's catalogues, pro and anti-absinthe tracts, scientific reports, distillation guides, satirical journals, French
poetry, English fiction and early printed works referring to absinthe.
Postcards
Advertising postcards, satirical photographic cards, propaganda postcards, chromolithographic cards.
Advertising postcards, satirical photographic cards, propaganda postcards, chromolithographic cards.
Absinthe Ephemera
Absinthe invoices and price-lists, publicity brochures, menus, manuscripts, early photographs and maps.
Absinthe invoices and price-lists, publicity brochures, menus, manuscripts, early photographs and maps.
Absinthe Alambics
Alambics designed for absinthe distillation, and the trade catalogues of the leading manufacturers.
Alambics designed for absinthe distillation, and the trade catalogues of the leading manufacturers.
Absinthe Herbs
Grand wormwood, or Artemisia absinthium, the distinctive ingredient that gives absinthe its unique character.
Grand wormwood, or Artemisia absinthium, the distinctive ingredient that gives absinthe its unique character.
A Visit to Pontarlier
The town of Pontarlier, and the nearby Val de Travers in Switzerland, the ancestral birthplace of the Green Fairy.
The town of Pontarlier, and the nearby Val de Travers in Switzerland, the ancestral birthplace of the Green Fairy.
Recent updates to The Virtual Absinthe Museum:
Last update: Tuesday 8th August 2006
The famous Absinthe Bourgeois "Chat Noir" poster added in Posters IX.
Photographs of herb cultivation in Pontarlier added in Herbs II.
A menu with Absinthe Sorbet, signed by Gustave Eiffel, in Ephemera XII.
A clockwork absinthe mixer or "valseuse d'absinthe", in Ephemera XI.
A complete boxed set of 6 Perrenod-style brouilleurs, in Brouilleurs III.
A Michal Hyeres Absinthe Francaise carafe, in Carafes I.
A new section on the alambics used for the distillation of absinthe, at Alambics I.
A new section on the principal herbs used in absinthe, at Herbs I.
A selection of unusual absinthe labels in Ephemera IX.
A carton for E.Pernod showing two climbers on the Matterhorn, in Posters X.
A 1951 US pulp fiction novel with absinthe references, in Books XV11.
A wonderful set of satirical postcards by Bianco "Les Perils", in Postcards VIII.
The famous Absinthe Bourgeois "Chat Noir" poster added in Posters IX.
Photographs of herb cultivation in Pontarlier added in Herbs II.
A menu with Absinthe Sorbet, signed by Gustave Eiffel, in Ephemera XII.
A clockwork absinthe mixer or "valseuse d'absinthe", in Ephemera XI.
A complete boxed set of 6 Perrenod-style brouilleurs, in Brouilleurs III.
A Michal Hyeres Absinthe Francaise carafe, in Carafes I.
A new section on the alambics used for the distillation of absinthe, at Alambics I.
A new section on the principal herbs used in absinthe, at Herbs I.
A selection of unusual absinthe labels in Ephemera IX.
A carton for E.Pernod showing two climbers on the Matterhorn, in Posters X.
A 1951 US pulp fiction novel with absinthe references, in Books XV11.
A wonderful set of satirical postcards by Bianco "Les Perils", in Postcards VIII.
Sections of special interest:
Aleister Crowley.
The Green Goddess, and
the Old Absinthe House.
The Green Goddess, and
the Old Absinthe House.
Pliny - 1481 Edition
The earliest printed
references to absinthe.
The earliest printed
references to absinthe.
Absinthe - The HELL DRINK!
An absinthe article in the 1960's
'sweat' magazine 'Battle Cry'.
An absinthe article in the 1960's
'sweat' magazine 'Battle Cry'.
Emile Zola and The Dreyfus Affair.
Anti-semitism and the anti-absinthe campaign.
Anti-semitism and the anti-absinthe campaign.
The De Absinthio Latin Translation Project
Join our Wiki, and help translate the most important early monograph on absinthe extant.
Join our Wiki, and help translate the most important early monograph on absinthe extant.
The following absinthe-related source documents are now available for download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:
A complete English translation of the 1896 Maison Pernod Fils absinthe catalogue, in Books I
An important 1912 anti-absinthe paper "Alcoholism and Degeneracy" by Magnan and Fillassier in Books III
The 1882 4th and the 1899 7th edition of "Traité des Liqueurs et de la Distillation des Alcools" by Duplais in Books IV.
An English translation of J.Fritsch's authorative 1891 "Nouveau Traité de la Fabrication des Liqueurs", in Books IV
An English translation from the 1926 Fritsch dealing with Cusenier's absinthe oxygenation process, in Books IV
An English translation of Roret's 1888 "Nouveau Manuel Complet du Distillateur Liquoriste", in Books IV.
An English translation of the absinthe sections from J.de Brevans's 1908 "La Fabrication des Liqueurs", in Books IV
The absinthe sections from "A Practical Treatise on the Distillation and Rectification of Alcohol" by Brannt in Books IV
An English translation of Villon's 1894 La Nature article on the ageing of absinthe by oxygenation, in Books IV
An English translation of the absinthe still descriptions from the 1899 Maison Egrot Alambics catalogue in Books IV.
The article "Characteristic Parisian Cafes" by Theodore Child from the 1889 issue of Harper's Magazine, in Books V
Illustrated articles on absinthe and Belle Epoque café life from Je Sais Tout 1907, and Touche à Touche 1911 in Books V.
An overview of the Dreyfus Affair, with the full text and an English translation of Zola's "J'Accuse" in Books VII
An English translation of Alphonse Allais' pioneering stream of consciousness piece "Absinthes" in Books VIII.
Verlaine's article on Raoul Ponchon, and an English translation of Ponchon's poem "5 o'clock Absinthe", in Books VIII
Extensive extracts and a plot summary of Marie Corelli's 1886 anti-absinthe novel "Wormwood", in Books IX.
The complete 1897 short story by M.E.M. Davis "At the Corner of Absinthe and Anisette", in Books IX.
Scans of "La Famille et l'Alcool" from the temperance tract "Histoire d'une Bouteille" in Books XI.
An English translation of Pliny's "Natural History" dealing with absinthe and its therapeutic properties, in Books XII
NEW! Absinthe related extracts from the risqué 1951 novel "Touchable" by Les Scott, in Books XVII.
An article: "Absinthe - The HELL-DRINK" in the 1968 'sweat' magazine Battle Cry, in Books XVIII.
The complete text of Aleister Crowley's "Absinthe - The Green Goddess", in Books X and in Absinthe FAQ III
A 1944 promotional booklet for Legendre Herbsaint with numerous cocktail recipes, in Absinthe FAQ III
A collection of early absinthe-related papers from the Lancet, including one by Dr Valentin Magnan, in Absinthe FAQ V
An English translation of the comic monologue "Une Bonne Absinthe" in Ephemera II.
An English translation of Tisserand's 1922 "Eloge de la très précieuse liqueur d’Absinthe" in Ephemera V.
An English translation of a Schwyzerdütsch pro-absinthe poster for the July 1908 Swiss referendum in Posters II.
A complete English translation of the 1896 Maison Pernod Fils absinthe catalogue, in Books I
An important 1912 anti-absinthe paper "Alcoholism and Degeneracy" by Magnan and Fillassier in Books III
The 1882 4th and the 1899 7th edition of "Traité des Liqueurs et de la Distillation des Alcools" by Duplais in Books IV.
An English translation of J.Fritsch's authorative 1891 "Nouveau Traité de la Fabrication des Liqueurs", in Books IV
An English translation from the 1926 Fritsch dealing with Cusenier's absinthe oxygenation process, in Books IV
An English translation of Roret's 1888 "Nouveau Manuel Complet du Distillateur Liquoriste", in Books IV.
An English translation of the absinthe sections from J.de Brevans's 1908 "La Fabrication des Liqueurs", in Books IV
The absinthe sections from "A Practical Treatise on the Distillation and Rectification of Alcohol" by Brannt in Books IV
An English translation of Villon's 1894 La Nature article on the ageing of absinthe by oxygenation, in Books IV
An English translation of the absinthe still descriptions from the 1899 Maison Egrot Alambics catalogue in Books IV.
The article "Characteristic Parisian Cafes" by Theodore Child from the 1889 issue of Harper's Magazine, in Books V
Illustrated articles on absinthe and Belle Epoque café life from Je Sais Tout 1907, and Touche à Touche 1911 in Books V.
An overview of the Dreyfus Affair, with the full text and an English translation of Zola's "J'Accuse" in Books VII
An English translation of Alphonse Allais' pioneering stream of consciousness piece "Absinthes" in Books VIII.
Verlaine's article on Raoul Ponchon, and an English translation of Ponchon's poem "5 o'clock Absinthe", in Books VIII
Extensive extracts and a plot summary of Marie Corelli's 1886 anti-absinthe novel "Wormwood", in Books IX.
The complete 1897 short story by M.E.M. Davis "At the Corner of Absinthe and Anisette", in Books IX.
Scans of "La Famille et l'Alcool" from the temperance tract "Histoire d'une Bouteille" in Books XI.
An English translation of Pliny's "Natural History" dealing with absinthe and its therapeutic properties, in Books XII
NEW! Absinthe related extracts from the risqué 1951 novel "Touchable" by Les Scott, in Books XVII.
An article: "Absinthe - The HELL-DRINK" in the 1968 'sweat' magazine Battle Cry, in Books XVIII.
The complete text of Aleister Crowley's "Absinthe - The Green Goddess", in Books X and in Absinthe FAQ III
A 1944 promotional booklet for Legendre Herbsaint with numerous cocktail recipes, in Absinthe FAQ III
A collection of early absinthe-related papers from the Lancet, including one by Dr Valentin Magnan, in Absinthe FAQ V
An English translation of the comic monologue "Une Bonne Absinthe" in Ephemera II.
An English translation of Tisserand's 1922 "Eloge de la très précieuse liqueur d’Absinthe" in Ephemera V.
An English translation of a Schwyzerdütsch pro-absinthe poster for the July 1908 Swiss referendum in Posters II.
To subscribe to our very popular monthly newsletter, please click on the box below. Newsletter subscribers get
advance notice of new additions to the Museum, access to subscriber only pages, and preferential purchasing on
new releases (including vintage absinthe samples!). There's absolutely no charge to subscribe, and you can cancel
at any time. We operate a double-opt-in system: once you've entered your details, you'll receive an automated
email asking you to validate your information. As soon as you've responded to this email by clicking the
attached link, your name will be added to our list.
advance notice of new additions to the Museum, access to subscriber only pages, and preferential purchasing on
new releases (including vintage absinthe samples!). There's absolutely no charge to subscribe, and you can cancel
at any time. We operate a double-opt-in system: once you've entered your details, you'll receive an automated
email asking you to validate your information. As soon as you've responded to this email by clicking the
attached link, your name will be added to our list.
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