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Philippossian Automobiles. 1920. Charles Loupot.
50 ¾ x 35 3/8 in./128.8 x 90 cm
A flame-haired Femme Fatale, dressed in black, launches this midnight-blue beast of an auto into the foggy night: a masterpiece! Exceptionally rare, this poster finds Loupot at the absolute apex of his transition period between Switzerland and France, between domestic traditionalism and aggressive Modernist experimentation. According to Loupot’s son, Jean-Marie, until this point Loupot was hired by printers; this was likely his first direct commission from the advertiser (alongside his wildly successful Philippossian Cigarettes, see PAI-LXX, 443). The typeface, with which he’d been experimenting with since at least the previous year (see “Plantol,” PAI-XXI, 270) now achieves a refined state of Deco precision. This poster appears to be the sole remnant of any flirtation the advertiser Charles Philippossian had with the auto industry. However, it’s clear that the brilliance of this piece served as Loupot’s introduction to an entirely new market, as a creator of the new Art Deco aesthetic. In the following years, he’d create superb work for Swiss Grand Prix autos and motorcycles; Austin Tractors; and Voisin Autos, before defining the industrial Art Deco aesthetic at the 1925 Expo, and with classics such as “Stop-Fire.” An important work by this artist. Exceptionally rare.
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Motobécane. ca. 1929. Geo Ham.
46 ¾ x 31 in./118.7 x 78.7 cm
Geo Ham had a need: a need for speed. Known as the “prince of motion,” he is famous today as the illustrator of Monaco Grand Prix posters from 1933 to 1936, as well as motorboat competitions, air meets and aerobatic competitions between the wars. He produced exactly two posters for Motobécane: this one, presumably the earlier of the two: despite the lady’s scarf waving in the breeze, there isn’t quite as much of a kinetic frisson as Ham’s more mature works. The other Ham Motobécane is directly adjacent.
Available at auction June 26. Learn more >>
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American Crescent Cycles. 1899. Frederick Winthrop Ramsdell.
42 ¾ x 62 7/8 in./108.6 x 159.8 cm
Ramsdell studied at the Art Students League of New York, then left for Paris, where his work was shown at the Paris Salon between 1891 and 1898. This was the sweet spot for the French advertising poster, of course, and especially the work of Eugene Grasset, whose style Ramsdell appropriates in spectacular style.
Available at auction June 26.
Learn more about our selection of rare bicycle posters >>
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Velké Karlovice. 1946. Ladislav Horak.
23 3/8 x 33 ¼ in./59.2 x 84.5 cm
Hardy, rustic and rogue, this determined skier brings color, strength and fortitude to the placid hamlet of Velké Karlovice, a town in the middle of the Czech Republic’s prime winter sports areas.
Available at auction February 25, 2018.
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Fêtes D'Aviation. 1911. Goth.
47 ¼ x 63 in./120 x 160 cm
Practically the mirror image of Le Petit Parisien’s poster for the Paris-Madrid race, we are here offered the skyline of the small town of Le Puy. The text below advertises a rivalry between Jules Vedrines (who would become the first pilot to break 100 mph the following year) and the Peruvian Juan Bielovucic Cavalié (the second aviator to make it across the Alps).
Available at auction February 25, 2018.
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La Dolce Vita. 1959. Giorgio Olivetti.
55 x 77 ½ in./139.5 x 196.7 cm
One of the greatest films – and one of the greatest film posters – of all time, Olivetti’s gorgeous and rhapsodic two-sheet extravaganza features Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni looking gorgeous. This Olivetti poster was printed in 1959, for the original Cannes Film Festival release, and as such is quite rare!
Available at auction February 25, 2018.
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