Vintage Posters: At Auction August 27, 2020

Lot 263: Walter L. Greene, Adirondack Mountains / Lake Placid, 1930. $6,000 to $9,000.

During a summer of containment and people staying close to their personal bubbles, this auction’s assortment of beach and summer resort posters (see below) seems especially poignant, as for many of us, viewing them will be as close as we get to traveling this season. But we are lucky, because our virtual tour around the world covers incredible ground and encompasses many exciting and attractive images. Also included is a broad section of travel posters from the United States and abroad.

On Buying a Vintage Poster: What You Need to Know

World War I & II, Propaganda

A strong selection of World War I and II propaganda posters is something that has become a tradition for our August offerings of Vintage Posters. Among the choice pieces are each of three sizes of Norman Rockwell’s iconic “Four Freedoms” War Bond Posters with the middle and largest sets each hand signed and inscribed by Rockwell in pen (lots 61 through 63).

Lots 1 to 88
Lot 37: Keep Calm and Carry On, designer unknown, 1939. $12,000 to $18,000.
Lot 14: Laura Brey, Enlist / On Which Side of the Window Are You? 1917. $1,500 to $2,000.

Art Nouveau

We also have over 45 beautiful and important Art Nouveau posters, including works by Jules Cheret, Alphonse Mucha, Leonetto Cappiello, several rare and seldom seem Italian Liberty Style posters and many others.

Lots 89 to 133
Lot 93: Osvaldo Ballerio, Biscottini e Amaretti Delser, circa 1900. $4,000 to $6,000.
Lot 125: Maxfield Parrish, Harper’s Weekly / National Authority on Amateur Sport, 1896. $5,000 to $7,500.
Lot 102: Leonetto Cappiello, Les Parfums de J. Daver Paris, 1903. $3,000 to $4,000.

Sports, Olympics, Beach & Summer Resort Posters

A wonderful selection, which features a run of Sutro Baths memorabilia that include bathing suits rented out to visitors, broadsides and trolley cards used to advertise the baths from the 1890s through the 1950s. The centerpiece of the Sutro Baths collection is a large poster of the impressive venue: the rare version with the red borders and the caption, “On the Shore of the Pacific Ocean” along the bottom (pictured below).

Lots 134 to 209
Lot 201: [Sutro Baths] / On the Shore of the Pacific Ocean, designer unknown, 1896. $10,000 to $15,000.

Travel Posters

Ocean liner posters (lots 210 to 226) feature an image of the Titanic (pictured below); airline and aviation posters (lots 227 to 237) have advertisements for TWA, Air France, KLM, Air Afrique, and more.

Lots 210 to 290
Lot 210: Montague Birrell Black, White Star Line / Olympic & Titanic, circa 1910. $4,000 to $6,000.

Circus & Western Posters

Lots 291 to 303
Lot 292: The Uessem’s, designer unknown, 1909. $800 to $1,200.

Music, Food & Fashion

Music posters (lots 304 to 315); food and beverage (lots 316 to 325); and fashion (lots 326 to 330), showcase advertising styles from almost every decade in the twentieth century.

Lots 304 to 330
Lot 324: Andy Warhol, Perrier, 1983. $1,000 to $1,500.

Art Deco

A small assortment of Art Deco posters feature designs by Jean Dupas, Cathleen Mann, and Adolphe Mouron Cassandre.

Lots 331 to 344
Lot 343: Charles Loupot, Lion Noir, Cirage – Crème, 1949. $20,000 to $30,000.

Artist & Exhibition Posters

Exhibition posters include images for shows by Jacob Lawrence, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, and Keith Haring.

Further Reading: What You Should Know About Collecting Exhibition Posters

Lots 345 to 354
Lot 348: Jacob Lawrence, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, National Academy of Design, 1968. $800 to $1,200.

What You Need to Know for Auction Day

This auction will be held live and conducted remotely by Swann auctioneers taking bids from multiple platforms. While there will not be bidding in the room, we will be accepting order bids, and interested buyers will be able to participate live online via the Swann Galleries App. The app is available in the App Store and on Google Play, and it can also be accessed on a desktop at live.swanngalleries.com. 

Please note: limited phone bidding will be available for this auction. Phone bidding registrations will close the day before the sale at 4pm.

At this time, our exhibition and auction location at 104 East 25th Street is closed to the public. Private viewings are available by appointment only, and must be arranged in advance. To make an appointment please contact our Exhibitions Coordinator Leah Fletcher, lfletcher@swanngalleries.com.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Actions We’re Taking Regarding COVID-19

Specialist

Nicholas D. Lowry

Director, Vintage Posters

posters@swanngalleries.com

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August 4, 2020
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Category: Vintage Posters
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