Poster Auctions International's Rare Posters Auction #87, 520 works, will be held Tuesday, July 12th

New York, NY, USA, June 11, 2022 — The 87th Rare Posters Auction from Poster Auctions International on Tuesday, July 12 features rare and iconic images from a century of poster design. The collection includes Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern, and Contemporary lithographs, decorative panels, and maquettes.

All 520 lots will be on view to the public June 21 to July 11. 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, “What makes this auction special is the high quality and rarity of this collection. Collectors have the opportunity to bid on seminal works that have not been available at our auctions for many years.”

The auction will begin with 50 historic designs for automobiles, starting with O’Galop’s 1898 Le Pneu Michelin / Nunc est bibendum, which introduced the beloved Michelin man to the world (est. $6,000-8,000). Further notable images include Leopoldo Metlicovitz’s powerful 1907 Mostra dei Ciclo e dell’Automobile / Milano (est. $25,000-$30,000), Burkhard Mangold’s striking 1907 Safir (est. $14,000-$17,000), Ludwig Hohlwein’s forceful ca. 1914 Mercedes (est. $30,000-$40,000), Marcello Dudovich’s extremely rare ca. 1925 Michelin (est. $17,000-$20,000), and Geo Ham’s sunny Monaco Grand Prix 1934 (est. $17,000-$20,000).

Next, 20 bicycle posters will be auctioned. Important works include Edward Penfield’s ca. 1896 Ride a Sterns and Be Content (est. $10,000-$12,000), the anonymously created ca. 1895 Cycles Gladiator (est. $30,000-$40,000), and Henri Thiriet’s 1897 Omega (est. $4,000-$5,000).

Aviation buffs will enjoy the collection of 35 images of flight, including one of the earliest “flying machine” box kites, as seen in Charles Hubbard Wright’s 1897 The May Century (est. $1,200-$1,500). Further important images include Ernest Montaut’s 1909 Première Exposition Locomotion Aérienne / Grand Palais (est. $5,000-$6,000), Heinrich H. Schütz’s 1913 Konstanz / Bondensee-Wasserflug (est. $3,000-$4,000), and the anonymous ca. 1913 Aero Exhibition / Olympia (est. $4,000-$5,000); Modern designs for Air France, TWA, and Pan Am will also be on offer.

22 provocative designs for War & Propaganda will also be up for bidding. Highlights include Howard Chandler Christy’s 1918 Gee!! I Wish I Were a Man (est. $2,000-$2,500), his 1915 If You Want to Fight! / Join the Marines (est. $1,700-$2,000), and his 1917 I Want You For the Navy (est. $1,200-$1,500). Also on offer are James Montgomery Flagg’s 1918 Our Regular Divisions (est. $1,400-$1,700) and his rare 1945 Coming Right Up! (est. $1,700-$2,000), as well as Frederick Henri Kay Henrion’s 1944 United (est. $2,000-$2,500). 

Collectors of works from the Art Nouveau era will have hundreds of exquisite designs to choose from. These include the anonymous 1906 Buffalo Bill’s Wild West / I Am Coming (est. $8,000-$10,000); Pierre Bonnard’s 1891 France-Champagne (est. $25,000-$30,000); Marcello Dudovich’s 1910 Esposizione Universale di Bruxelles (est. $5,000-$6,000); Georges de Feure’s 1897 Le Journal des Ventes, hand-signed and before letters (est. $8,000-$10,000); Adolfo Hohenstein’s ca. 1905 Fiammiferi Senza Fosforo, in the smaller format (est. $2,500-$3,000); Ludwig Hohlwein’s 1908 Confection Kehl / PKZ (est. $20,000-$25,000); Julius Klinger’s 1912 Karikaturisten-Ball (est. $6,000-$8,000); Privat Livemont’s 1896 Absinthe Robette (est. $20,000-$25,000); and Jean M. Peské’s 1898 L’Estampe et l’Affiche (est. $8,000-$10,000).

Of course, no Art Nouveau collection is complete without these iconic artists: Jules Chéret, Alphonse Mucha, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Some of the earliest and rarest works by Chéret will be auctioned, including the 1880 Folies-Bergère / Miss Lala (est. $1,200-$1,500) and his 1881 Lactéoline (est. $1,700-$2,000). Two versions of his 1891 Librairie Ed. Sagot / Affiches-Estampes will be offered: the two-sheet poster with complete text (est. $5,000-$6,000) and the rare, before letters version (est. $4,000-$5,000). Three original paintings will also be on offer (est. ranging $14,000-$20,000).

From Mucha, the great master of the Belle Époque, 29 of his top triumphs will be auctioned, including the incredibly rare 1897 Fox-Land Jamaica Rum—one of only two known copies (est. $80,000-$100,000). Several of his most rapturous decorative panel sets will be available: the 1902 Precious Stones (est. $170,000-$200,000), The Arts from 1898 (est. $45,000-$55,000), and The Stars from 1902 (est. $100,000-$120,000). His most iconic posters are also included: the 1896 La Dame aux Camelias (est. $30,000-$35,000), the 1896 Salon des Cent / XXme Exposition (est. $17,000-$20,000), the 1896 Job (est. $20,000-$25,000), and his 1898 Waverley Cycles (est. $17,000-$20,000).

Toulouse-Lautrec will have an impressive selection of posters and prints at auction. These include the 1896 Salon des Cent in its rarest state: before letters, hand-signed, and with the red monogram stamp (est. $60,000-$70,000); the only known copy of a trial proof of his 1895 May Belfort (est. $40,000-$50,000); the 1896 L’Artisan Moderne (est. $30,000-$35,000); the 1892 Ambassadeurs / Aristide Bruant (est. $70,000-$90,000); the 1894 Eldorado / Aristide Bruant (est. $80,000-$100,000); and the 1899 Jane Avril in its rarest state: from an edition of 25 copies, hand-signed, and including the snake remarque (est. $100,000-$120,000). Original works will also be offered, including the 1892 oil painting Portrait de Femme, created for a Louis XV-style brothel salon (est. $120,000-$150,000); a crayon study for his “Elles” suite print, Femme au Lit / Au Petit Lever, from 1896 (est. $50,000-$60,000); and a ca. 1895 pencil self-portrait (est. $20,000-$25,000). Two “Elles” suite prints are also included: the 1896 Femme sur le Dos / Lassitude (est. $14,000-$17,000) and the 1896 Femme à la Glace (est. $12,000-$15,000).

For fans of the Art Deco era, delightful works are plentiful. Jean A. Mercier’s 1927 design for the film 6 ½ x 11 is a tour de force (est. $20,000-$25,000); Emil Cardinaux’s 1920 Palace Hotel / St. Moritz is always a delight (est. $10,000-$12,000). A. M. Cassandre’s exceptionally rare 1931 Thomson will also be up for grabs (est. $20,000-$25,000). From Paul Colin, his original 1926 oil painting, Blackbirds, will be at auction (est. $60,000-$80,000). Further highlights include this auction catalogue’s cover image, Jean Droit’s An East Coast Tonic (est. $5,000-$6,000); Guillermo Laborde’s 1930 design for the first FIFA World Cup, 1er Campeonato Mundial Football / Uruguay (est. $5,000-$6,000); Maurice Lauro’s 1927 Trouville (est. $10,000-$12,000); Charles Loupot’s 1925 Stop-Fire (est. $7,000-$8,000); Fortunio Matania’s Southport (est. $12,000-$15,000); Walter Schnackenberg’s 1911 Odeon Casino (est. $12,000-$15,000); J. Spring’s 1919 Anis del Oso (est. $4,000-$5,000); the Stenberg Brothers’ 1925 Kamerny Theatre / Kukerol (est. $6,000-8,000); and René Vincent’s ca. 1925 billboard, Au Bon Marché / Bains de Mer (est. $4,000-$5,000).

As always, works by Cappiello will feature prominently. Some of his rarest and best works will be sold: the 1901 La Caisse Simon / Huîtres Exquises (est. $7,000-$9,000), the rare 1904 Moi Gramophone (est. $7,000-$9,000), the four-sheet version of his popular 1907 Le Thermogène (est. $7,000-$9,000), the ca. 1911 Péro / Papier à Cigarettes on silk (est. $6,000-$8,000), the rare 1924 Eno’s “Fruit Salt” (est. $12,000-$15,000), and his 1927 Nice (est. $6,000-$7,000). An original gouache maquette, Vin, will also be available for bidding (est. $30,000-$40,000).

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