Poster Auctions International's Rare Posters Auction #93, Held July 11th, Finishes At $1.4 Million

By Author: Jessica Adams
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Poster Auctions International’s (PAI) second sale of the year, on July 11, finished at $1,403,500. Rare Posters Auction XCIII welcomed passionate collectors who bid on items from across the world.

Jack Rennert, President of PAI, noted that “Consistently, we see the most enthusiasm for rare and one-of-a-kind works at auction. Collectors are keen to find that special item to round out their collection, and this sale was no exception: the posters that we see less often performed especially well.”

Indeed, rare posters once again garnered the affection of bidders on auction day. From our transit collections, Boris Artzybasheff’s seductive 1949 Pan Am / Bermuda was sold for a winning bid of $9,375 (est. $4,000-$5,000). Clarence Coles Phillips’ 1912 Flanders Colonial Electric sold for $6,000 (est. $3,000-$4,000); Pierre Louÿs’ ca. 1928 Citroën C6 handily surpassed its estimate of $3,000-$4,000 for a win of $8,125. A perennial racing favorite, Robert Falcucci’s 1932 Monaco Grand Prix went for $32,500 (est. $17,000-$20,000).

All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium.

Highlights from our ...
... War & Propaganda collection include the rare anonymous 1919 image, True Blue, which was won for $11,250 (est. $2,000-$2,500); Charles Livingston Bull’s 1917 Army Air Service was sold for $4,250 (est. $1,700-$2,000); Eugene DeLand’s 1917 Before Sunset / 2nd Liberty Loan was claimed for $3,250 (est. $800-$1,000); Rudi Feld’s 1919 Die Gefahr des Bolschewismus was won for $4,500 (est. $1,700-$2,000).

Several Modern posters held sway over bidders, such as the anonymous ca. 1942 “Devil’s Harvest” / Marijuana, which was won for $4,250 (est. $1,700-$2,000); the rare anonymous 1966 design, Levy’s Rye / Buster Keaton was secured with a winning bid of $4,000 (est. $2,000-$2,500).

The maestro of advertising, Leonetto Cappiello, received favorable bids at auction. Some of his top lots included the 1900 Hélène Chauvin, which went for $6,250 (est. $3,500-$4,000); his 1902 Pur Champagne / Damery-Epernay was swept up for $6,250 as well (est. $4,000-$5,000); the 1906 Automobiles Brasier sped away for a winning bid of $15,000 (est. $10,000-$12,000); the ca. 1912 Vermouth Martini sold for $9,375 (est. $2,500-$3,000); his lovely 1919 Crème de Luzy was won for $11,875 (est. $5,000-$6,000).

For Jules Chéret, his original works most captivated bidders, leading to some friendly competition. The 1887 Saint Jacut-de-la-Mer oil painting was won for $22,500 (est. $12,000-$15,000); the ca. 1891 pastel drawing La Comédie went for $11,250 (est. $7,000-$9,000); the 1902 pastel L’Eventail sold for $11,875 (est. $8,000-$10,000).

Alphonse Mucha, the premier Art Nouveau artist, saw consistently passionate bidding this July. His top sale was the 1902 Cycles Perfecta, which was won for $50,000 (est. $30,000-$40,000). Further top sales include his iconic 1896 Job, which was won for $20,000 (est. $17,000-$20,000); the 1899 Moët & Chandon / Crémant Imperial was claimed for $18,750 (est. $17,000-$20,000); the 1897 Monaco-Monte-Carlo sold for $20,000 (est. $14,000-$17,000); from his 1902 The Stars series, his Étoile Polaire sold for $10,000 (est. $8,000-$10,000) and the Clair de Lune panel went for $9,375 (est. $7,000-$9,000).

Further notable sales from the Art Nouveau period include Edward Penfield’s 1896 Western Lawn Tennis Tournament, which sold for $12,500 (est. $8,000-$10,000); Walter Schnackenberg’s 1912 Odeon Casino was won for $27,500 (est. $25,000-$30,000); Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1893 Caudieux sold for $32,500. Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen saw enthusiasm for his classic 1896 Chat Noir / Prochainement, which was won for $32,500 (est. $20,000-$25,000) and his 1899 Motocycles Comiot sold for $25,000 (est. $25,000-$30,000). Lastly, our top sale of this auction was the complete set of Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, which sold for $55,000 (est. $50,000-$60,000).

This auction featured a noteworthy collection of brilliant Art Deco works, among them this sale’s cover image, Chesley Bonestell’s 1930 New York Central Building, which was won for $12,500 (est. $6,000-$8,000). Roger Broders’ lovely 1930 Lac d’Annecy sold for $6,000 (est. $2,500-$3,000); his 1930 Chamonix Mt. Blanc / Sports d’Hiver was won for $11,875 (est. $7,000-$9,000). Jean Carlu’s 1926 Aquarium de Monaco swiftly surpassed its estimate of $8,000-$10,000 for a win of $37,500. Collectors vied for a chance to secure Franz Lenhart’s 1933 Modiano, leading to an unprecedented sale of $18,750 (est. $5,000-$6,000). Leslie Ragan’s powerful 1938 The New 20th Century Limited was won for $10,000 (est. $6,000-$8,000).

Poster Auctions International’s next Rare Posters Auction will be held in New York in November, 2024. Consignments are accepted until August 30. Poster Auctions International is located at 26 W. 17th Street, New York, NY 10011. PAI may be reached by phone at 212-787-4000, or via email at info@posterauctions.com. To learn more about PAI, visit www.posterauctions.com.