David Klein Shines with Multiple Records Set, Among Many Others
Swann Galleries’ fall Rare & Important Travel Posters auction on Tuesday, November 25, saw a competitive showing from collectors, prompting several bidding wars and setting multiple records. Nicholas Lowry, Swann President and Vintage Poster Director, noted:
“Swann’s latest Rare & Important Travel Poster auction was notable for a number of reasons:
- With most seats in the salesroom filled, the sale was better attended than any poster sale we have had since the pandemic.
- The bidding was spirited—with active and continuous competition between online clients, clients in the room, and bidders on the phone.
- A number of records were set, and pieces achieved exceptional prices.
In a crowded marketplace of poster auctions, this sale stood out with its competitively fought bidding, record prices, and overall sell-through rate. Our clients and collectors around the world have clearly come to rely on Swann for offering some of the most interesting, unusual, beautiful and scarce travel posters.”
David Klein & Auction Records
David Klein, New York / Fly TWA, 1956. Sold for $25,400, a record for the artist.
Among the records several established for David Klein’s posters for TWA, including his iconic image of New York City, which shattered the previous, selling for $25,400, double the price of the last highest price paid (which was a record set at Swann just a few months ago at our New York Sale) and set an artist record for Klein; his poster for Los Angeles set a record for the image, selling for $5,842.
Anthony Hansen, The Palisades of the Hudson / New York Central Lines, circa 1930s. Sold for $7,620, a record for the work.
Anthony Hansen’s The Palisades of the Hudson / New York Central Lines sold for $7,620 beating its previous record; William Spencer Bagdatopoulus poster for Cunard sold for $5,280, setting a record for the artist; and two Ocean Liner posters by Themistokles Von Eckenbrecher earned $7,620 and $3,302, both achieved record results, with one setting a high water mark for any poster design by the artist.
Airline Posters
V.V. Shetye, Air India / Tigers, 1966. Sold for $3,556.
Vintage posters for Air India, across the board, reflected incredible interest and achieved impressive results with each of the seven lots on offer finding buyers. Most notable of the group was V.V. Shetye‘s cheeky and ironic design featuring two tigers smoking over a stuffed Maharaja’s head hanging on the wall above the fireplace. The work brought $3,556 against a $1,500 to $2,000 estimate.
Designer Unknown, Be a Woman of the World / TWA, circa 1968. Sold for $2,286.
Another notable result was a charming little poster inviting women to become stewardesses for TWA. With an estimated $400 to $600, the poster sold for $2,286.
New York City & Travel by Rail
Leslie Ragan, The New 20th Century Limited / New York Central System, 1939. Sold for $20,320.
Vintage posters advertising travel by rail were led by those showcasing New York City, including Leslie Ragan’s The New 20th Century Limited / New York Central System, 1939, at $20,320; Chesley Bonestell’s New York Central Building / At The Gateway To A Continent, 1930, at $11,430; and Harley Wood’s New York / Go By Train / Pennsylvania Railroad, 1952, at $10,160.
International Travel Posters
Stefan Norblin, Polska Zakopane, circa 1925. Sold for $4,752.
The international travel posters were also prominent among the top 20 lots. Fred Taylor’s rare Why Not Visit London for a Few Days, 1925, brought $7,620; Frantisek Cardos’ Praha, 1937, earned $6,096; Roger Broders’ Col Du Grand St. Bernard, 1927, saw $6,072; and Stefan Norblin’s Polska Zakopane, circa 1925, sold for $4,752. Also represented were Zürich, San Sebastian, Côte d’Azur, Marseille, New Zealand and Australia, among many others.
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