New York, NY, USA, February 18, 2023 -- The 89th Rare Posters Auction from Poster Auctions International on Sunday, March 19 features rare and iconic images from a century of poster design. The collection includes Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern, and Contemporary lithographs as well as decorative panels, maquettes, and original works.
All 430 lots will be on view to the public February 24 to March 18. The auction will be held live in PAI’s gallery at 26 West 17th Street in New York City, as well as online at posterauctions.com, beginning promptly at 11am EDT.
Jack Rennert, president of Poster Auctions International, Inc., said, “Our 89th auction will feature the esteemed designs that collectors expect from us, from iconic works that always sell well to never-before-seen rarities and original works. Spanning from the earliest years of lithography to the 1980s, there is something special for every collector in this sale.”
The auction will begin with 20 designs for automobiles, including Burkhard Mangold’s 1907 Safir (est. $12,000-$15,000), Henry Mayo Bateman’s full 14-poster set for his 1925 Shell / Mr. Wiseman series (est. $12,000-$15,000), and René Vincent’s 1930 Bugatti. Three of the best Monaco Grand Prix posters will be offered: Robert Falcucci’s 1932 design and Geo Ham’s 1933 and 1935 images (each est. $17,000-$20,000).
As always, a range of designs for bicycles and aviation will be available. Important images include the anonymous ca. 1895 Cycles Gladiator (est. $45,000-$55,000), M. Dessoures’ 1910 Semain d’Aviation / Caen (est. $8,000-$10,000), and the anonymous ca. 1910 Aérodrome de la Crau (est. $8,000-$10,000). Modern designs for El Al, Pan Am, and American Airlines will also be offered.
Collectors of War & Propaganda images will have over 40 designs to choose from. Notable lots include James Montgomery Flagg’s iconic 1917 I Want You for U.S. Army (est. $7,000-$9,000), Howard Chandler Christy’s 1918 Gee!! I Wish I Were a Man (est. $1,400-$1,700), Norman Rockwell’s 1945 Hasten the Homecoming (est. $1,200-$1,500), Frederick Henri Kay Henrion’s 1944 United (est. $1,000-$1,200), and six designs from Israel.
Seven Saturday Evening Post covers will be available for bidding. These posters by Leyendecker, Rockwell, and Penfield encapsulate early Americana (each est. $1,000-$1,500).
The illustrious Normandie is featured with four awe-inspiring designs by Cassandre, Herkomer, Black, and an anonymous artist. These powerful images are estimated at $7,000-$9,000 and $12,000-$15,000 each.
For those seeking to round out their artist collections, this auction features several prime selections of works by top artists. From Leonetto Cappiello, 19 designs are offered, including three spectacular billboards: the 1924 Alcool de Menthe Ricqlès (est. $12,000-$15,000), his 1923 Royat (est. $10,000-$12,000), and the 1923 “Délices” / Ferrand & Renaud (est. $10,000-$12,000). For those with less available wall space, other delightful images include his 1920 Mistinguett / Casino de Paris (est. $17,000-$20,000) and his 1903 Absinthe Gempp Pernod (est. $14,000-$17,000).
From the father of the poster, Jules Chéret, 17 lithographs and five original works are available. Among his posters are some of his earliest, including the 1872 Valentino (est. $1,700-$2,000), his 1875 Folies-Bergère / Charmeuse de Serpents (est. $2,000-$2,500), and four iterations for Saxoléine (est. each $1,400-$2,000). Four original paintings and one drawing will also be auctioned (ests. ranging $6,000-$20,000).
Collectors of Alphonse Mucha will have 43 works to consider, ranging from his most beloved posters to rare variants and special objects. Lithographic highlights include: the 1896 Job (est. $20,000-$25,000), his 1896 Zodiac (est. $17,000-$20,000), the only known variant of his 1896 La Dame aux Camelias for a performance in Aix-Les-Bains (est. $40,000-$50,000), his 1902 Cycles Perfecta (est. $25,000-$30,000), and his 1902 series The Stars, in the larger format (est. $70,000-$90,000). This auction features a number of one-of-a-kind works from the master of Art Nouveau, including his 1900 Printemps : Pocket Watch, engraved with one of his Spring maidens, which was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair (est. $30,000-$40,000). Also at auction is an original signed drawing of Mucha’s friend and colleague, Paul Gauguin (est. $15,000-$20,000). Collectors will also discover an array of books, covers, and other decadent ephemera.
Another leader of Art Nouveau, Privat Livemont, will have nine of his greatest works at auction. These include his perennial favorite, the 1896 Absinthe Robette (est. $20,000-$25,000), his 1897 Manufacture Royale de Corsets (est. $5,000-$6,000), the 1897 Cacao Van Houten (est. $6,000-$8,000), and the 1899 J. C. Boldoot with full text (est. $6,000-$8,000).
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec will also have a fine selection available. Top works include the incredibly rare 1895 May Belfort / Petit Casino (est. $30,000-$40,000), his 1893 Divan Japonais (est. $25,000-$30,000), his 1894 P. Sescau / Photographe (est. $60,000-$70,000), and the complete 1898 Yvette Guilbert album (est. $17,000-$20,000).
This auction also includes 10 of the earliest and rarest posters by Japan’s premier posterist, Tadanori Yokoo. Among these works are his 1965 Having Reached a Climax at the Age of 29 (est. $17,000-$20,000); his 1968 Marie in Furs, which graces this auction’s catalogue cover (est. $20,000-$25,000); the 1966 The Wonders of Life on Earth (est. $10,000-$12,000); his 1966 The Ballad to a Severed Little Finger (est. $8,000-$10,000); and the 1966 Koshimaki-Osen (est. $8,000-$10,000).
For collectors of Art Nouveau, hundreds of fantastic works are offered. The magnificent 1896 Sutro Baths, by an anonymous artist, will once again be up for bidding (est. $8,000-$10,000). A rare and incredibly detailed 1901 image by Léon Hingre, Paris-Périgueux Nouveautés, will also be available (est. $4,000-$5,000). Ludwig Hohlwein will have two notable works included: his 1910 Marco-Polo-Tee (est. $5,000-$6,000) and the exceptionally rare 1912 poster, Besuchet den Tiergarten for the Nuremberg Zoo (est. $8,000-$10,000). Gustav Klimt’s seminal 1898 design, I. Kunstausstellung / Secession, is a notable inclusion (est. $60,000-$80,000). Other highlights include Manuel Orazi’s 1900 Théâtre de Loïe Fuller (est. $25,000-$30,000), the rare before-letters version of Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen’s 1894 Lait pur Stérilisé (est. $12,000-$15,000), Henri Thiriet’s 1898 Exposition de Blanc / Place Clichy (est. $3,000-$4,000), and two volumes of L’Estampe Moderne (est. $20,000-$25,000).
For fans of the Art Deco era, striking works abound. Notable lots include Roger Broders’ 1929 Dunkerque (est. $12,000-$15,000), Jean Carlu’s 1934 Grandes Fêtes de Paris (est. $25,000-$30,000), A. M. Cassandre’s 1927 Nord Express (est. $17,000-$20,000), Paul Colin’s 1929 portfolio of Le Tumulte Noir (est. $40,000-$50,000), Pierre Fix-Masseau’s 1929 Côte d’Azur / Pullman-Express (est. $7,000-$9,000), Charles Loupot’s 1937 St. Raphaël (est. $25,000-$30,000), Carl Moos’ ca. 1917 Paul Rückmar (est. $7,000-$9,000), and J. Spring’s 1930 Cognac Sorin (est. $4,000-$5,000).
To learn more, visit www.posterauctions.com.
