NEW YORK, NY.- Boasting more than 400 lots,
Swann Galleries February 24 auction of Vintage Posters will offer graphic gems from across the centuries and around the globe.
From the earliest examples of Art Nouveau, the works of Alphonse Mucha are well-represented by decorative panels, portfolios, and posters, including previously unseen rarities. On offer is a selection of designs featuring Sarah Bernhardt notably, Mme. Sarah Bernhardt - Worlds Tour 1914-15-16, circa 1914 ($4,000-6,000); as well as a poster Bernhardts Farewell American Tour in 1915 to 1916 by an unknown designer ($3,000-4,000). Early American Tiffany-Style highlights include Edward Penfields The Northampton Cycle Co., circa 1900 ($8,000-12,000), and Will Bradleys Victor Bicycles, 1895 ($8,000-12,000), among a selection of Bradley covers, posters and ephemera. Drawing inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement is exceptionally rare and desirable psychedelic work, including Herb Greene & James H. Gardners Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead,1967 ($8,000-12,000). Other iconic artists include Theophilé-Alexandre Steinlen and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Art Deco posters feature, with a notable work by Zig, Josephine Baker / Casino de Paris, 1930 ($4,000-6,000), and sought-after posters by Luciano Achille Mauzan, Charles Gesmar, Ludwig Hohlwein, Charles Loupot, Francis Bernard, Paul Colin, and Roger Broders.
Following the houses highest-grossing travel posters sale last fall, the sale will feature a plethora of enticing travel advertisements, including a highly anticipated selection of winter and ski imagery, including a rare 1933 Swissair poster by Carl Moos ($5,000-7,500), a majestic image of a Fokker F-VII soaring through a geometrically patterned blue sky over the clouds and colorful Alpine peaks. Ski Posters, a staple of the February poster offering at Swann, include Mürren / Schweiz, 1931, by Andre Lecomte, ($4,000-6,000); Jack Gallianos VIII Olympic Winter Games Squaw Valley, 1960 ($1,200-1,800); Alois Carigiets Switzerland Invites you for Winter Sports, 1948 ($1,000-1,500); and Martin Peikerts Champéry, 1955 ($7,000-10,000). Travel advertisements from Ottomar Anton, Leslie Ragan, Bern Hill, Emil Cardinaux, Otto Baumberger, Stan Galli, and David Klein also feature.
A large selection of excellent and seldom-seen car posters includes race advertisements, Grand Prix, forgotten brands of automobiles, and consumer favorites such as Fiat, Citroën and others. Highlights include Johannes Handschins Grosser Preis Montreux, 1934 ($10,000-15,000); Richard Guyatts These Men Use Shell / You Can Be Sure of Shell, 1939 ($1,000-1,500); Pierre Louys Citroën, 1925 ($2,000-3,000); and Jack le Bretons Fiat / The Car of International Reputation, 1927 ($1,500-2,000). Also available is a run of posters from the 1950s for Mercedes Benz and the 1970s by Atelier Erich Strenger for various racing series.
The sale is rounded out by a selection of food and beverage, entertainment posters, as well as artist exhibition images.