CHICAGO, IL.- On October 20, Poster Auctions International (PAI) presents Selling Modernism: The William W. Crouse Collection, an exceptional selection of rare Art Deco vintage posters. Featuring works by A.M. Cassandre, Paul Colin, Charles Loupot, Leonetto Cappiello, Jean Carlu, Roger Broders, Otto Ernst, Edward McKnight Kauffer, and others, the auction spans automobiles, aviation, railways, ocean liners, entertainment, sports, and consumer products. Originally designed for commercial purposes, these once everyday advertisements are now prized collectibles of art historical importance that helped to define graphic design for the rest of the century. Of further note, the majority of the posters in the Crouse Collection are framed with valuable museum-grade acrylic glazing.
Assembled by William W. "Bill" Crouse and his wife Elaine, the collection reflects their longstanding appreciation for Art Deco design. A renowned authority on the subject, Crouse authored Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco Posters (2010) and The Art Deco Poster (2013). The couple displayed their posters alongside vintage cocktail shakers, paintings, and decorative objects in their Guy Peterson-designed Sarasota home. The Sarasota Art Museum recently celebrated the collection by exhibiting 100 posters in Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration, showcasing a range of compositions that portray the optimism of the 1920s and more subdued mood of the 1930s amid the Great Depression.
Notable lots in the auction consist of the only known copy of Paul Colin's La Revue Black Birds / Moulin Rouge, 1929 (est. $200,000–300,000). Another highlight is Edward McKnight Kauffer's Daily Herald / Soaring to Success!, 1918/1919 (est. $70,000–90,000), with striking typography and stylized birds against a vivid yellow background. Significant works by A.M. Cassandre available include Spidoline, 1932 (est. $35,000–45,000), RAI / Amsterdam, 1929 (est. $30,000–40,000), Wagon-Bar, 1932 (est. $25,000–30,000) and Triplex, 1931 (est. $20,000–25,000).
Reflecting Art Deco's fascination with modern living, technology, speed, and travel, the collection features two of Charles Loupot's iconic designs for the apritif St. Raphal Quinquina, 1937 and 1938 (each est. $30,000–40,000), along with Jean Carlu's playfully distinguished Larraaga / Havana Cigars, 1929 (est. est. $$25,000–30,000), Otto Ernst's striking vision of the Alps in Chrysler, 1929 (est. $20,000–25,000), and Francis Portier's propulsive Grand Prix Automobile de Genve, 1931 (est. $9,000–12,000). In addition, Roger Broders' rare Dunkerque / Chemin de Fer du Nord, 1929 (est. $15,000–20,000) evokes the excitement of taking a voyage while Henri Desm's FIFA / Coupe du Monde, 1938 (est. $15,000–20,000) points to the global spectacle the World Cup would become.
Together, these works illustrate the remarkable breadth of Art Deco graphic design. PAI founder Jack Rennert, given his longtime relationship with Crouse, has been afforded "an upfront view and appreciation for [Crouse's] love of the posters of the interwar years." Similarly, in the introduction to Crouse's The Art Deco Poster, scholar Alastair Duncan marvels at the collection's "embarrassment of Art Deco riches" while noting the works are "dynamic, mostly linear compositions" as opposed to "the flowery, often whimsical, carryover works from the Belle poque era."
