From the humble beginnings way back in 1765 to the gargantuan operation that’s boasted today, the Hennessy Cognac story has been analyzed and obsessed over from many different angles. And one of the most fascinating is the visual display of the evolving Hennessy labels over the years.
From iconic bottle labels to ancient lithograph postcards, posters to showcards, drink mats to images on ashtrays (yes, really—hard as it might seem to imagine today) join us on a pictorial journey of Hennessy advertising through the ages. A feast for the eyes, and one to put you in the mood for which bottle of Hennessy Cognac you might next like to sample…
Hennessy’s much loved VS—then and now
Interestingly, Hennessy haven’t changed the look of their VS label very much over the years, it’s just morphed into the label we know and love today.
Just “Hennessy” alone on the bottle label
Of course, at the very beginning, Hennessy didn’t even state the quality of the Cognac on the label. It was enough just to promote the name.
The globally adored VSOP Hennessy label
Once again, the Hennessy VSOP is not so different from the one we’re more familiar with today. It’s simply had a 21st-century upgrade.
Another name that Hennessy’s VSOP goes by is Hennessy Privilege. And there’s some great old labels to be seen here.
Hennessy Napoléon label
Interestingly Hennessy no longer market a pure “Napoleon” quality Cognac that they label in such a manner. But in the past they certainly did.
Hennessy Bras d’Or decanter label
The interestingly named, Hennessy Bras d’Or was a special cuvee released and sold from 1955 to the late 1960s. The quality was between a VSOP and an XO.
Hennessy’s world famous XO label
Hennessy Paradis Cognac label
The luxury that is the Hennessy Paradis Cognac has always been marketed with the simplest of visual displays.
And last but not least, check out these amazing postcard images
Many of the images shown here are from the man who’s been credited with single-handedly saving the whole cultural heritage of Cognac—Paule Ronne. Over his lifetime he put together a collection of over 24,000 Cognac labels and collector’s items encompassing pretty much every Cognac house that’s ever existed.. Most of what he collated over the years has been gifted to the Musee des Art du Cognac—a must visit if you’re ever lucky enough to visit the town of Cognac in southwest France.
And if we mention Paul, then we surely have to talk about Simon Goode, a modern day collector who’s the owner of one of the largest collections of Cognac memorabilia and vintage posters. Check out our previous article featuring just some of his amazing objets d’art that include the wonderful Hennessy showcard we show here.
Many of the images shown here are from the man who’s been credited with single-handedly saving the whole cultural heritage of Cognac, with a collection of over 24,000 Hennessy Cognac labels and collector’s items—Paul Ronne. Most of what he collated over the years has been gifted to the Musee des Art du Cognac—a must visit if you’re ever lucky enough to visit the town of Cognac in southwest France.
Discover more about the wonders of Hennessy and their wide range of Cognacs on our dedicated brand page for Hennessy Cognac.
Sources: cognac-paul.com
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