Press Release

New York, NY, USA, July 24, 2024 -- 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).

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