NEW YORK CITY.- On Sunday, May 3, Poster Auctions International will offer more than 500 lots of rare, vintage posters in its semi-annual auction of Art Nouveau and Art Deco masterpieces. Including some of the rarest and best works on paper the auction house has ever seen, this sale is, in a word, unbeatable.

One of the stars of this first-rate auction includes a newly-discovered work by Alphonse Mucha for Ed. De Beukelaer Biscuits. Having been in a private collection for the past hundred years, this poster has never been seen by the public, nor documented in any text on the artist. Accompanying this one-of-a-kind work is the largest collection of posters by Alphonse Mucha ever offered at auction—a total of 32 posters, including the very rare Stars panels and the original maquettes for his Times of the Day, with a handwritten dedication to his wife and son on the verso.

Another major section of the auction is dedicated to rare Israeli posters from the past century, many being the only known copies of the works. From films to consumer products, politics to tourism, these posters cover a vast array of issues facing Israel over the past hundred years.

Also highlighted is a large assembly of German and Austrian Secessionist posters; a stunning group Air France posters, one of the biggest collections of New York Central System railway posters ever offered, and an impressive array of 28 iconic bicycle posters.

Other important works include the large-format poster for Crosley Radio by Mauzan, the famous Cycles Gladiator, the Beggarstaff poster for Harper’s, Bonnard’s France-Champagne, the only known copy of Sools by Cassandre, Cocteau’s poster for the Ballet Russe, ‘La Rue’ by Steinlen, Toulouse-Lautrec’s rare The Chap Book, Pandora by Tichon, and Toussaint’s Café Jacqmotte, as well as exceptional collections of works by Cappeillo, Cheret, Toulouse-Lautrec, Hohlwein, Livemont, Loupot, and Steinlen.

All this and more will be on view, free to the public beginning Friday, April 17 through Saturday, May 2. Catalogue available online at www.postersplease.com.

For over 40 years, Poster Auctions International has been the world’s preeminent auctioneer of original, vintage posters. The offices and showroom are located at 601 W. 26th Street. For information, www.postersplease.com or contact Angelina Lippert at 212-787-4000.