Ferronnerie artistique et plomberie d'art Ferdinand Marrou principaux traveaux excluses : les quatre clocherons en cuivre martelé pour l'achèvement de la fleche de la cathédrale de Rouen .... [etc.] 1884

This bookplate was designed by Ferdinand Marrou to advertise his metalworking and plumbing business. The print, likely an etching, shows his artistic range. He highlights his work on the Rouen cathedral in copper, one of humanity’s oldest worked materials. The image is more than just marketing. It shows the social standing of craft in the early 20th century. Notice the cherub, scroll, and gothic script, all of which attempt to elevate metalworking to the level of high art. Marrou is clearly signaling his awareness of artistic traditions. But what he actually produced was likely more prosaic - gutters, downspouts, flashing, all essential to modern life. The bookplate suggests Marrou wanted to be seen as more than just a tradesman. He was an artist working in an industrial age, and his aesthetic choices reflect that ambition. Ultimately, this print asks us to consider the value of skilled labor in a world increasingly divided between art and industry.