NEW YORK, NY.- On Wednesday, August 7, Swann Galleries will conduct a two-session auction of Vintage Posters that offers chilling World War I and II propaganda images, lovely sunbathing beauties in advertisements for beach and summer resorts and classic American posters for Buffalo Bill, The Saturday Evening Post, workplace safety and more.

A run of early American posters opens the sale, and these include promotional items for minstrel shows, plays, performances by Sells Brothers’ Enormous United Shows, 1893 (estimate $1,200 to $1,800); The Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth, circa 1894 ($1,500 to $2,000); and goodbye appearances by Buffalo Bill, 1911-12 ($5,000 to $7,500 and $3,000 to $4,000).

Iconic World War I images are Fred Spear’s Enlist, which evokes the tragedy of the Lusitania, 1915 ($5,000 to $7,500); James Montgomery Flagg’s well-loved I Want You, 1917 ($7,000 to $10,000); H.R. Hopps’s King Kong-esque Destroy this Mad Brute/Enlist, circa 1917 ($12,000 to $18,000); and Howard Chandler Christy’s winning Aviation/Fly with the U.S. Marines, 1920 ($7,000 to $10,000).

Featured among the powerful World War II posters are Dear God Keep Them Safe!/Buy War Bonds and Stamps, depicting school children wearing gasmasks, issued by Kroger grocery stores, 1942 ($15,000 to $20,000); Keep Us Flying!/Buy War Bonds, showing an African-American serviceman, 1943 ($1,500 to $2,000); Teamwork Wins, 1943 ($1,000 to $1,500); as well as anti-US images, such as Dante Coscia’s La Libera America, with Italians polishing Uncle Sam’s shoes, 1944 ($2,500 to $3,500).

There are classic Mather Work Incentive posters including Loyalty Invites Loyalty/True Friends Have Faith. 1924 ($2,000 to $3,000); Be a Tight Wad!/Own Something!, 1925 ($2,000 to $3,000); and Where Are You Going? No One Knows But You, 1925 ($3,000 to $4,000).

The afternoon session of the sale opens with attractive women modeling swimsuits, lounging on the beaches and strolling beneath parasols. A pair of Jantzen advertisements are estimated at $1,000 to $1,500 each and a Wispo swimsuit ad with two circa 1955 lovelies, is $1,500 to $2,000; while Roger Broders’s Antibes, circa 1928 and Grasse, 1927 appeal at $7,000 to $10,000 and $4,000 to $6,000 respectively. Also eye-grabbing are H.J.’s La Côte d’Azur/P.L.M., 1912 ($3,000 to $4,000); Edward M. Eggleston’s Atlantic City/Pennsylvania Railroad, circa 1935 ($7,000 to $10,000); and Arthur C. Michael’s friendly boating party in The Broads, 1937 ($2,000 to $3,000).

A wider assortment of travel posters includes Douglas Annand’s photomontage for Australia/150th Anniversary Celebrations, 1938 ($1,500 to $2,000); M. Eyre Proudman’s See India/Jodhpur, 1934 ($1,200 to $1,800); Leslie Ragan’s The New Empire State Express, 1941 ($4,000 to $6,000); and Walter Till’s Ireland/The Fisherman’s Paradise ($1,000 to $1,500).

Among a choice selection of Art Nouveau posters are the oversized Tout Paris a la Revue des Folies Bergere by Adrien Barrère, 1902 ($15,000 to $20,000); Misti’s Le Petit Chat, circa 1898 ($2,000 to $3,000); Alphonse Mucha’s Biscuits Lefèvre-Utile, 1897 and Flirt, 1900 ($8,000 to $12,000 and $6,000 to $9,000); and Frederick Winthrop Ramsdell’s American Crescent Cycles, 1899 ($3,000 to $4,000).

The sale concludes with a selection of classic international advertisements promoting movies, cars, tobacco, liquor and more.

The auction will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7; and continues after a lunch break at 1:30 p.m.

The posters will be on public exhibition at Swann Galleries Thursday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to
6 p.m.; Friday, August 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Monday, August 5 and Tuesday, August 6, from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.