April 15, 2021Swann CommunicationsVintage Posters Two Day Auction Event: Selections From Letterform Archive & Graphic Design Read more about Two Day Auction Event: Selections From Letterform Archive & Graphic Design A two day auction event featuring Selections From Letterform Archive on May 12, and Graphic Design on May 13.
Read more about Play Ball!: The Unlikely Tradition of Baseball Ephemera at Swann April 1, 2021 Swann Play Ball!: The Unlikely Tradition of Baseball Ephemera at Swann With the arrival of baseball’s Opening Day, spring is truly here. Swann does not handle baseball memorabilia in the traditional sense, leaving the encapsulated gem-mint rookie cards and game-worn jerseys to…
Read more about Artist Record for H.A. Volodimer in Winter 2021 Sale of Vintage Posters February 24, 2021 Vintage Posters Artist Record for H.A. Volodimer in Winter 2021 Sale of Vintage Posters Our winter 2021 offering of Vintage Posters on February 18 saw the highest recent sell-through rate of the house’s large biannual sale in the category, “This is particularly gratifying under…
Read more about As Seen on TV: Vintage Posters February 12, 2021 Vintage Posters As Seen on TV: Vintage Posters Missing our Poster Auction Exhibitions? An easy way to see the posters Swann has to offer, right from your couch. Jennifer De Candia, our vintage poster department administrator, takes us…
Read more about A Brief History of Guinness Posters & Alice in Guinnessland February 12, 2021 Vintage Posters A Brief History of Guinness Posters & Alice in Guinnessland James Joyce allegedly proclaimed that Guinness was “the wine of Ireland,” and a 1973 ad for the company featured a reluctant drinker and the tag line “I’ve never tried it…
Read more about Vintage Posters: Auction Highlights February 2021 January 25, 2021 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: Auction Highlights February 2021 At Auction February 18, 2021 Literary Posters Art Nouveau Bicycles, Automobiles & Aviation Food and Drink Skiing & Winter Sports Travel Fashion & Products Theater, Entertainment & Film Russian, War…
Read more about The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal January 20, 2021 The Artists of the WPA The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal On February 4, 2021, Swann offered: The Artists of the WPA. The first iteration of the multi-departmental sale, featured paintings, prints, photographs, posters, books and related ephemera by artists whose…
Read more about 2020: Year in Review December 23, 2020 Swann 2020: Year in Review In a year that was unlike any in our lifetimes, Swann’s specialists and staff proved to be as resilient and innovative as ever, bringing forward new and safe ways to…
Read more about Seven Artists Records for Fall 2020 Travel Posters at Swann October 20, 2020 Vintage Posters Seven Artists Records for Fall 2020 Travel Posters at Swann Auction Discoveries: Frank Lemen and Anthony Hansen “With over an over 80% sell-through rate, and with 16 of the top 17 lots selling to collectors, our Thursday, October 15, 2020,…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Railway Posters October 12, 2020 Vintage Posters Collector’s Guide: Railway Posters Nicholas D. Lowry Picks His Top Locomotive Travel Posters Among the earliest European travel posters were produced by the railway companies to sell tickets on their new trains crisscrossing the…
Read more about The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters October 1, 2020 Vintage Posters The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters …and what we mean when we say something is “Rare.” Just when you think you have seen it all… I am always amazed when I realize how much more there…
Read more about Fall 2020 Preview: Rare & Important Travel Posters September 8, 2020 Vintage Posters Fall 2020 Preview: Rare & Important Travel Posters In an era in which armchair traveling has become the new normal, it has never been more engaging to stay at home and travel the world virtually through the glorious designs of historical travel posters.
Read more about The Sutro Baths: Relics of San Francisco’s Famous Attraction August 18, 2020 Vintage Posters The Sutro Baths: Relics of San Francisco’s Famous Attraction Swann’s August 27, 2020 Vintage Poster auction includes a selection of historical trolley cards, broadsides and original bathing suits from the famous Sutro Baths overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These items…
Read more about Vintage Posters: At Auction August 27, 2020 August 4, 2020 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: At Auction August 27, 2020 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…
Read more about Records & Results: June 2020 Fine Art Sales July 7, 2020 Swann Records & Results: June 2020 Fine Art Sales A Full Month of Fine Art Sales at Swann Delivers Record Prices Swann offered four sales of Fine Art this June, each one proving audiences are undeterred by the remote…
Read more about Interview: On the Guerrilla Girls June 15, 2020 Vintage Posters Interview: On the Guerrilla Girls Donna Kaz is a writer, director, choreographer and activist, who has led the theatre troupe, “Guerrilla Girls on Tour” for the past two decades. A Guerrilla Girl herself, who has written a memoir entitled UN/MASKED, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl On Tour, Lauren Goldberg, our vintage poster specialist, asked Donna to unmask yet again and share some insight into her own experiences with the movement.
Read more about Photomontage & Photography in Vintage Posters June 9, 2020 Vintage Posters Photomontage & Photography in Vintage Posters The June 18, 202 Graphic Design auction featured an array of rare and influential examples of photography in posters. While the popularization of photography and the tradition of printing posters…
Read more about Graphic Design: Featuring Modernist Posters from the Vienna Secession to 1990s Political Images May 25, 2020 Vintage Posters Graphic Design: Featuring Modernist Posters from the Vienna Secession to 1990s Political Images This year’s Graphic Design auction presents exciting posters and materials ranging from the Vienna Secession to political posters of the 1990s. At the heart of the auction are posters from two exceptional private estates: stunning European Avant-garde design from the estate of Alexander Kaplen, and unparalleled Art Deco works from the estate of Jeffrey Aminoff and Kathleen Faccini, a collection that was assembled in the 1980s and 90s.
Read more about What You Should Know About Collecting Exhibition Posters April 8, 2020 Vintage Posters What You Should Know About Collecting Exhibition Posters Lauren Goldberg, our vintage poster specialist, takes us through the ins-and-outs of what to look for when collecting an exhibition poster.
Read more about Tadanori Yokoo: Pop Visionary April 6, 2020 Vintage Posters Tadanori Yokoo: Pop Visionary Internationally-renowned graphic artist and designer Tadanori Yokoo, who has been called “the grandmaster of Japanese pop-psych art,” got his start as a stage designer for avant garde theatre in Tokyo. It is no wonder why his eventual foray into poster design resulted in graphics that are unfailingly theatrical and dramatic—drawing on Psychedelia, mysticism, Pop culture and Japanese imagery.
Read more about WPA Posters: Favorites from a Vintage Posters Specialist April 2, 2020 The Artists of the WPA WPA Posters: Favorites from a Vintage Posters Specialist In addition to the many murals, sculptures, paintings and photos commissioned by the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s and forties, graphic artists designed hundreds upon hundreds of posters for the agency, of which about two million copies were printed and only a fraction survived.
Read more about Puerto Rican Poster Archive Shines in Winter-Spring 2020 Sale of Vintage Posters February 18, 2020 Vintage Posters Puerto Rican Poster Archive Shines in Winter-Spring 2020 Sale of Vintage Posters Our sale of Vintage Posters on Thursday, February 13 was the house’s most successful February poster offering in over 10 years.
Read more about A Puerto Rican Archive of Graphic Design February 6, 2020 Vintage Posters A Puerto Rican Archive of Graphic Design Our winter-spring 2020 sale of Vintage Posters on February 13 is set to feature an extensive archive of over 350 posters by Puerto Rico’s most renowned painters, designers and graphic artists. Here Nicholas D. Lowry, the house’s vintage posters director, touches on the featured artists and the movement that brought these works to light.
Read more about Vintage Posters: Winter-Spring 2020 Highlights December 10, 2019 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: Winter-Spring 2020 Highlights Ski poster enthusiasts always find something appealing in our winter Vintage Posters auction, but most exciting is the section of rare and important Art Nouveau posters
Read more about 20 Years of Travel Posters Pays Off with 10 New Records November 20, 2019 Vintage Posters 20 Years of Travel Posters Pays Off with 10 New Records “After twenty years of conducting auctions of Rare and Important Travel Posters it was validating to see the sale turn in the best results in the last three years,” noted Nicholas D. Lowry, Swann Galleries’ President and Director of Vintage Posters. The Thursday, November 14 auction saw a 75% sell-through rate, an “industry-leading number as no other poster sales come close to this level of success,” continued Lowry, as well as bringing ten new records for artists and images alike.
Read more about 20 Years of Rare & Important Travel Posters at Swann November 7, 2019 Vintage Posters 20 Years of Rare & Important Travel Posters at Swann Swann Galleries’ November 14 sale of Rare & Important Travel Posters marks the house’s twentieth annual sale in the category. Here we share Nicholas D. Lowry’s entry to the catalogue, in which he reflects on the history and impact of the sale.
Read more about Fall 2019: Rare & Important Travel Posters October 11, 2019 Vintage Posters Fall 2019: Rare & Important Travel Posters Our twentieth anniversary Travel Poster sale can be summed up in one powerful, romantic word: trains. An extraordinary private collection of American railway posters, the best we’ve ever seen, includes a virtual history from the early years of the New York Central Lines to the Streamliner trains of the 1930s and 40s.
Read more about Record Prices and Market Debuts Abound in Summer 2019 Sale of Vintage Posters August 14, 2019 Vintage Posters Record Prices and Market Debuts Abound in Summer 2019 Sale of Vintage Posters Our summer sale of Vintage Posters on August 7, 2019, was a lively event with active bidding across all platforms bringing six record prices and a number of posters to market for the first time.
Read more about On Buying a Vintage Poster: What You Need to Know July 29, 2019 Auctions 101 On Buying a Vintage Poster: What You Need to Know So you’ve fallen in love with a vintage poster. What’s next? Here are some of the most important things to consider when looking to buy a vintage poster.
Read more about Sergio Trujillo Magnenat: A Pioneer in Colombian Graphic Design July 24, 2019 Vintage Posters Sergio Trujillo Magnenat: A Pioneer in Colombian Graphic Design Featured in our August 7 sale of Vintage Posters is a rare selection of four advertisements for the first Bolivarian Games by Sergio Trujillo Magnenat. The images are characterized by…
Read more about Swann in Profile: Lauren Goldberg July 22, 2019 Vintage Posters Swann in Profile: Lauren Goldberg With the newly opened Poster House museum as a backdrop, we spoke with Specialist Lauren Goldberg in our Vintage Posters Department about, well, what else—posters! You’ve been at…
Read more about Records & Results: Graphic Design June 5, 2019 Vintage Posters Records & Results: Graphic Design Charles Loupot Reaches New Heights in Swann Graphic Design Auction debuts for Tadanori Yokoo Our auction of Graphic Design on May 23 offered a selection of vintage posters by…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters June 4, 2019 Vintage Posters Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters At Auction August 7 Complete Catalogue For over 15 years our summer Vintage Posters auction has brought wonderful examples of beach and summer resort posters to market. The tradition continues…
Read more about Dramatized Sales Methods: How to close a sale in 1930 May 14, 2019 Vintage Posters Dramatized Sales Methods: How to close a sale in 1930 The art of salesmanship has long been dissected in search of methods to effectively and efficiently hook customers and close a deal. Our upcoming Graphic Design auction on May 23…
Read more about Graphic Design March 1, 2019 Vintage Posters Graphic Design At Auction May 23 Complete Catalogue Graphic Design continues to be a favorite among our poster auctions, with work by important designers like A.M. Cassandre, Charles Loupot, Ludwig Hohlwein, Jean…
Read more about Records & Results: Vintage Posters February 13, 2019 Vintage Posters Records & Results: Vintage Posters Alphonse Mucha & Art Nouveau Lead Vintage Posters at Swann Our February 7 sale of Vintage Posters saw numerous firsts and records. Nicholas D. Lowry, Swann President, noted: “Lively bidding for ski posters and Art Nouveau images set…
Read more about The Posters on Your Shelf: Scarce Books & Portfolios January 31, 2019 Vintage Posters The Posters on Your Shelf: Scarce Books & Portfolios At the end of the nineteenth century, the craze of poster collecting was at an all-time high. As a result, publishers formed subscription services in limited runs so that the…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters January 9, 2019 Vintage Posters Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters At Auction February 7 Complete Catalogue Our winter sale features tantalizing, rare Art Nouveau images and a panoply of evocative Ski and Winter Resort advertisements. In addition to…
Read more about Records & Results: Rare & Important Travel Posters October 29, 2018 Vintage Posters Records & Results: Rare & Important Travel Posters Swann Travel Posters Auction Sets 8 Records Philip Zec reaches $17.5K Poster lovers from far and wide came to Swann on Thursday, October 25, sale of Rare & Important Travel Posters,…
Read more about Set Sail on the Open Seas with a Fleet of Ocean Liner Posters October 17, 2018 Vintage Posters Set Sail on the Open Seas with a Fleet of Ocean Liner Posters Featured in our October 25 Rare & Important Travel Posters sale are works promoting ocean liners from the golden age of travel. Cunard Line It was…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: Rare & Important Travel Posters August 31, 2018 Vintage Posters A Look Inside the Catalogue: Rare & Important Travel Posters At Auction October 25 Complete Catalogue A breathtaking presentation of rare and unexpectedly beautiful images from around the world, this sale features numerous destinations and locales. Trains, planes, automobiles…
Read more about Records & Results: Vintage Posters August 7, 2018 Vintage Posters Records & Results: Vintage Posters Poster Passion Leads to a Successful Auction Our August 1 Vintage Poster sale set at least six auction records, including a new high price for Sutro Baths. The exhibition for…
Read more about Keep It Under Your Stetson July 30, 2018 Vintage Posters Keep It Under Your Stetson Wartime propaganda can serve a variety of purposes, from recruitment and morale-building to conservation. During World War II all of these played a role in the Office of War Information’s…
Read more about Thirsty? Wine & Liquor Posters May Satisfy July 27, 2018 Vintage Posters Thirsty? Wine & Liquor Posters May Satisfy We may be at the height of the craft beer renaissance, but the history of alcoholic beverages goes way back. Humans have proven, over millennia, that we like a good…
Read more about The Hot Bid Interviews Nicho on Cassandre’s “Best Way” July 10, 2018 Vintage Posters The Hot Bid Interviews Nicho on Cassandre’s “Best Way” Sheila Gibson Stoodley, author of The Hot Bid, interviewed our President & Principal Auctioneer Nicholas D. Lowry about the most expensive travel poster ever sold. Sheila’s blog, The Hot Bid showcases…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: Vintage Posters May 11, 2018 Vintage Posters A Look Inside the Catalogue: Vintage Posters At Auction August 1 Complete Catalogue Wine & Liquor Advertisements Numerous posters by Leonetto Cappiello and Luciano Achille Mauzan, including rarely-seen works, capture the essence of their styles.…
Read more about Records & Results: Graphic Design May 9, 2018 Vintage Posters Records & Results: Graphic Design Our auction of Graphic Design on May 3 offered vintage posters that defined the styles of the twentieth century. In a highly-curated selection of just over 250 lots, the highlight…
Read more about How Car Posters Drove Graphic Design April 25, 2018 Vintage Posters How Car Posters Drove Graphic Design In the dawn of the motor car, most automobile purveyors relied on a “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality, touting ever-evolving technology and styles to drive car sales. A selection…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: Graphic Design March 30, 2018 Vintage Posters A Look Inside the Catalogue: Graphic Design At Auction May 3 Graphic Design This auction celebrates innovation in the field of graphic design, with a colorful offering of vintage posters, along with a coterie of fine…
Read more about #5WomenArtists – Lauren Goldberg’s List March 29, 2018 Vintage Posters #5WomenArtists – Lauren Goldberg’s List As part of Women’s History Month, we’re offering a week of #5WomenArtists, inspired by the National Museum of Women in the Arts. We asked some women of Swann to tell us…