Little is known of the ‘A’ marque other than what can be deduced from the name itself and the style and subjects of the cards, which strongly indicate that the photos were taken by one of the Agélou brothers, probably Jean. Given the condition of ‘A’ cards today – they are not easy to find and some are of poor quality – it is tempting to propose that the marque predated the main Agélou brands. However, a study of three ‘marker’ props tells a different story. The striped chair  (see 209E) was used by Jean from the start; the round shield (see 208E) appeared later; while the ‘quiet corner’ (see 207B, possibly at the rue Marcadet flat) was used as a location around halfway through the lifetime of JA Round and a little earlier for the other two marques.

All three markers are shown together here in 206C, suggesting that ‘A’ cards were produced at the same time as those from the three major Agélou brands: JA Paris, JA Round and GA/GP.