what a great word. not sure what it means, if anything, but i do know it is a company in france and they make these metal 'signalisation.' i love this little card. it's about four by five inches when folded. i have never seen anything like.
it is my practice when traveling to any country to visit not just flea markets but also stationery stores and hardware stores, large and small. finding this card was a delight. one reason i keep stopping in stationery store after stationery store is that i hope to discover old stock. old staplers, tape holders and especially paper clips which have been lying on the shelves for years, the longer the better.
this card with its exhibition of many wonderful markers or 'recommandes' was found in a nondescript stationery store in paris. there was nothing remarkable or special about this shop; it was neither old nor distinguished in any way, but i went in nonetheless. rooting around, i discovered a small box of one of these 'flambos.' I approached the shop owner (it is always a good sign when the shop owner is present, as that means that the store may be family owned), and asked in my best french (which is really the worst french) if he had any other types of these markers. he opened a drawer and pulled out some other 'flambos'. what excited me most was this card. it wasn't out for display but was his reference. i surprised the owner by asking to see it.
how could anyone be so excited about such an ordinary thing? yet there are so many things to love about this little card. the flambo typeface. seeing essentially the same thing in different forms appeals to me. there always seems to be a need to take the same device and create such a variety. upon closer inspection, you can see there is a device for each day of the week, one for every month, every letter in the alphabet. there is a rich variety of shapes and colors. after my initial excitement i asked if he had any of these in stock. alas, no. i could hardly contain my excitement. i asked if he would sell me this card. the shop owner was now stupefied. why would anyone want such a thing? he looked at me and excused himself. he returned from the stock room with another card and announced that i could have it. this little card never left my breast pocket for the rest of the day. such a simple thing that provided such a wonderful memory.
