January 3, 2023Kelsie Jankowski19th & 20th Century Literature 2022: Year in Review Read more about 2022: Year in Review 2022 was a historic year for Swann in more ways than one. The house celebrated its 80th year of auctions, bringing with it the 70th anniversary of the first photography…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Aviation & Airline Posters November 2, 2022 Vintage Posters Collector’s Guide: Aviation & Airline Posters Nicholas D. Lowry breaks down the best selection of aviation and airline designs to collect for the plane spotter in all of us… People collect aviation posters for a number…
Read more about A Look at Maurice Logan’s Designs for the Southern Pacific Railway October 27, 2022 Vintage Posters A Look at Maurice Logan’s Designs for the Southern Pacific Railway The November 10, 2022, auction of Rare & Important Travel Posters includes the largest run of Maurice Logan posters that have ever been offered for sale at a single time—19…
Read more about Rare & Important Travel Posters — Featuring Highlights from the Victor Ryerson Collection: November 10, 2022 Auction Highlights October 19, 2022 Vintage Posters Rare & Important Travel Posters — Featuring Highlights from the Victor Ryerson Collection: November 10, 2022 Auction Highlights An unparalleled collection of American railway posters assembled by Victor Ryerson includes rare examples from the late nineteenth century, exceptional streamliner imagery from the 1920s and ‘30s, and 18 posters…
Read more about This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review August 22, 2022 19th & 20th Century Literature This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review The winter-spring auction season at Swann is a masterclass in marathon training, and the 2022 iteration proved no different with 20 auctions held between late January and the middle of August.
Read more about Artist Profile: Roger Broders July 27, 2022 Vintage Posters Artist Profile: Roger Broders The legacy of Roger Broders’ poster design has made his name synonymous with French Art Deco travel posters. His artistic career, as a whole, spans from the early twentieth century,…
Read more about Vintage Posters: August 4, 2022 Auction Highlights June 29, 2022 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: August 4, 2022 Auction Highlights In keeping with our August tradition, this sale will feature a plethora of World War I and II posters, sought-after classics and never-before-seen Vintage Posters at auction. Among the most…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Vintage Car Posters May 16, 2022 Graphic Design Collector’s Guide: Vintage Car Posters There has been exciting and novel automobile advertising for as long as there have been cars. From the earliest days of automotive history in the late nineteenth century through the…
Read more about Collecting Vintage Winter Sports Posters February 22, 2022 Vintage Posters Collecting Vintage Winter Sports Posters The modern Olympic Games were first held in 1896, with an appropriate historical nod to antiquity, in Athens, Greece. It wasn’t until 28 years later, in 1924, that the first…
Read more about Sarah Bernhardt, Mucha’s Muse February 16, 2022 Vintage Posters Sarah Bernhardt, Mucha’s Muse Imagine, if you will, the most famous actress you can think of: accomplished, multifaceted, beautiful, and globally recognized. Odds are you’re thinking of someone from Hollywood. Now imagine her with…
Read more about Vintage Posters: February 24, 2022 Auction Highlights January 19, 2022 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: February 24, 2022 Auction Highlights Boasting curious and graphic gems from across centuries and around the world, this auction includes a broad range of images. From the earliest and most wonderful examples of Art Nouveau,…
Read more about 2021: Year in Review December 22, 2021 Swann 2021: Year in Review As we close out another successful year at Swann we look back at our record-filled sales.
Read more about Artists of the WPA & the Dawn of a New American Identity December 20, 2021 The Artists of the WPA Artists of the WPA & the Dawn of a New American Identity The New Deal not only established a great legacy, but a greater generation of artists whose works defined the American spirit.
Read more about Records & Results: November 2021 Sales at Swann December 9, 2021 Prints & Drawings Records & Results: November 2021 Sales at Swann November Sales at Swann Bring $6.7M November at Swann Galleries featured a marathon of fine art auctions including a two-day sale of Old Master Through Modern Prints and Master Drawings,…
Read more about Rare & Important Travel Posters: Nicholas D. Lowry’s Picks for the November 23, 2021 Sale November 15, 2021 Vintage Posters Rare & Important Travel Posters: Nicholas D. Lowry’s Picks for the November 23, 2021 Sale Nicholas D. Lowry takes us around the world in under five minutes, as he shares a standout selection of exceptional vintage posters from our November 23, 2021 sale of Rare…
Read more about Consign Now for June 2022: Focus on Women November 5, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Consign Now for June 2022: Focus on Women This past summer Swann held its first auction devoted to works by women. We are pleased to annouce another edition of this sale, to be held in June 2022, once again spearheaded by Devon Eastland, our Early Printed Books Specialist, but offering a wide assortment of material
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Rare & Important Travel Posters—November 23, 2021 November 4, 2021 Vintage Posters Upcoming Highlights: Rare & Important Travel Posters—November 23, 2021 Lot 225: Leslie Ragan, Rockefeller Center New York / New York Central Lines, circa 1936. Estimate $6,000 to $9,000. American West: California National Parks, New Mexico & Arizona Lots 170…
Read more about LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Auction Bests Itself for the Third Year in a Row August 23, 2021 LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History Auction Bests Itself for the Third Year in a Row Auction Brings $1.3M and Records Abound New Record for Tom of Finland, Shattering Top Price Set by Swann Last Year “Swann’s third annual auction of LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture &…
Read more about Nicholas D. Lowry Shares His Favorite “Unofficial” Vintage Olympic Posters July 21, 2021 Vintage Posters Nicholas D. Lowry Shares His Favorite “Unofficial” Vintage Olympic Posters In the world of Olympic posters there are a handful of important milestones: The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens in 1896, a fitting tribute to the ancient…
Read more about First Sale Dedicated to the Accomplishments of Women at Swann Exceeds High Estimate July 20, 2021 19th & 20th Century Literature First Sale Dedicated to the Accomplishments of Women at Swann Exceeds High Estimate Early Printed Book, Archives, Vernacular and Fine Art Photography, Among other Material, Draws Interest Among Collectors The house’s inaugural Focus on Women sale on Thursday, July 15, 2021 brought $333,893…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters—At Auction August 5, 2021 July 13, 2021 Vintage Posters Upcoming Highlights: Vintage Posters—At Auction August 5, 2021 Featured Reading: On Buying a Vintage Poster: What You Need to Know What You Need to Know on Auction Day This auction will be held live and conducted remotely. There…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Focus on Women — At Auction July 15, 2021 June 28, 2021 Printed & Manuscript Americana Upcoming Highlights: Focus on Women — At Auction July 15, 2021 What You Need to Know on Auction Day This auction will be held live and conducted remotely. There will not be bidding in the room, though we accept order bids,…
Read more about Poster Designers: On Brand April 30, 2021 Vintage Posters Poster Designers: On Brand In the twenty-first century, when one thinks of contemporary posters and graphic design, the term “branding” may come to mind. Our daily lives are inundated with examples of branding—company logos, slogans & imagery—on TV, through social media, and of course, on posters. While the focus on digital branding is relatively new in the scope of art history, the idea of designers creating a brand identity for professional clients goes back over 100 years.
Read more about Selections from Letterform Archive April 21, 2021 Vintage Posters Selections from Letterform Archive At Auction May 12, 2021 This special offering of deaccessioned duplicates from the rich collection of Letterform Archive will bring to auction graphics, books, posters and examples of typography that…
Read more about Graphic Design: Auction Highlights May 2021 April 20, 2021 Vintage Posters Graphic Design: Auction Highlights May 2021 At Auction May 13, 2021 This auction is being held in tandem with Selections from Letterform Archive, at auction May 12. European Secession & Art Nouveau Lots 201 to 218…
Read more about Two Day Auction Event: Selections From Letterform Archive & Graphic Design April 15, 2021 Vintage Posters Two Day Auction Event: Selections From Letterform Archive & Graphic Design A two day auction event featuring Selections From Letterform Archive on May 12, and Graphic Design on May 13.
Read more about Play Ball!: The Unlikely Tradition of Baseball Ephemera at Swann April 1, 2021 Swann Play Ball!: The Unlikely Tradition of Baseball Ephemera at Swann With the arrival of baseball’s Opening Day, spring is truly here. Swann does not handle baseball memorabilia in the traditional sense, leaving the encapsulated gem-mint rookie cards and game-worn jerseys to…
Read more about Artist Record for H.A. Volodimer in Winter 2021 Sale of Vintage Posters February 24, 2021 Vintage Posters Artist Record for H.A. Volodimer in Winter 2021 Sale of Vintage Posters Our winter 2021 offering of Vintage Posters on February 18 saw the highest recent sell-through rate of the house’s large biannual sale in the category, “This is particularly gratifying under…
Read more about As Seen on TV: Vintage Posters February 12, 2021 Vintage Posters As Seen on TV: Vintage Posters Missing our Poster Auction Exhibitions? An easy way to see the posters Swann has to offer, right from your couch. Jennifer De Candia, our vintage poster department administrator, takes us…
Read more about A Brief History of Guinness Posters & Alice in Guinnessland February 12, 2021 Vintage Posters A Brief History of Guinness Posters & Alice in Guinnessland James Joyce allegedly proclaimed that Guinness was “the wine of Ireland,” and a 1973 ad for the company featured a reluctant drinker and the tag line “I’ve never tried it…
Read more about Vintage Posters: Auction Highlights February 2021 January 25, 2021 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: Auction Highlights February 2021 At Auction February 18, 2021 Literary Posters Art Nouveau Bicycles, Automobiles & Aviation Food and Drink Skiing & Winter Sports Travel Fashion & Products Theater, Entertainment & Film Russian, War…
Read more about The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal January 20, 2021 The Artists of the WPA The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal On February 4, 2021, Swann offered: The Artists of the WPA. The first iteration of the multi-departmental sale, featured paintings, prints, photographs, posters, books and related ephemera by artists whose…
Read more about 2020: Year in Review December 23, 2020 Swann 2020: Year in Review In a year that was unlike any in our lifetimes, Swann’s specialists and staff proved to be as resilient and innovative as ever, bringing forward new and safe ways to…
Read more about Seven Artists Records for Fall 2020 Travel Posters at Swann October 20, 2020 Vintage Posters Seven Artists Records for Fall 2020 Travel Posters at Swann Auction Discoveries: Frank Lemen and Anthony Hansen “With over an over 80% sell-through rate, and with 16 of the top 17 lots selling to collectors, our Thursday, October 15, 2020,…
Read more about Collector’s Guide: Railway Posters October 12, 2020 Vintage Posters Collector’s Guide: Railway Posters Nicholas D. Lowry Picks His Top Locomotive Travel Posters Among the earliest European travel posters were produced by the railway companies to sell tickets on their new trains crisscrossing the…
Read more about The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters October 1, 2020 Vintage Posters The Excitement of Discovering “Previously Unrecorded” Travel Posters …and what we mean when we say something is “Rare.” Just when you think you have seen it all… I am always amazed when I realize how much more there…
Read more about Fall 2020 Preview: Rare & Important Travel Posters September 8, 2020 Vintage Posters Fall 2020 Preview: Rare & Important Travel Posters In an era in which armchair traveling has become the new normal, it has never been more engaging to stay at home and travel the world virtually through the glorious designs of historical travel posters.
Read more about The Sutro Baths: Relics of San Francisco’s Famous Attraction August 18, 2020 Vintage Posters The Sutro Baths: Relics of San Francisco’s Famous Attraction Swann’s August 27, 2020 Vintage Poster auction includes a selection of historical trolley cards, broadsides and original bathing suits from the famous Sutro Baths overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These items…
Read more about Vintage Posters: At Auction August 27, 2020 August 4, 2020 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: At Auction August 27, 2020 During a summer of containment and people staying close to their personal bubbles, this auction’s assortment of beach and summer resort posters (see below) seems especially poignant, as for many…
Read more about Records & Results: June 2020 Fine Art Sales July 7, 2020 Swann Records & Results: June 2020 Fine Art Sales A Full Month of Fine Art Sales at Swann Delivers Record Prices Swann offered four sales of Fine Art this June, each one proving audiences are undeterred by the remote…
Read more about Interview: On the Guerrilla Girls June 15, 2020 Vintage Posters Interview: On the Guerrilla Girls Donna Kaz is a writer, director, choreographer and activist, who has led the theatre troupe, “Guerrilla Girls on Tour” for the past two decades. A Guerrilla Girl herself, who has written a memoir entitled UN/MASKED, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl On Tour, Lauren Goldberg, our vintage poster specialist, asked Donna to unmask yet again and share some insight into her own experiences with the movement.
Read more about Photomontage & Photography in Vintage Posters June 9, 2020 Vintage Posters Photomontage & Photography in Vintage Posters The June 18, 202 Graphic Design auction featured an array of rare and influential examples of photography in posters. While the popularization of photography and the tradition of printing posters…
Read more about Graphic Design: Featuring Modernist Posters from the Vienna Secession to 1990s Political Images May 25, 2020 Vintage Posters Graphic Design: Featuring Modernist Posters from the Vienna Secession to 1990s Political Images This year’s Graphic Design auction presents exciting posters and materials ranging from the Vienna Secession to political posters of the 1990s. At the heart of the auction are posters from two exceptional private estates: stunning European Avant-garde design from the estate of Alexander Kaplen, and unparalleled Art Deco works from the estate of Jeffrey Aminoff and Kathleen Faccini, a collection that was assembled in the 1980s and 90s.
Read more about What You Should Know About Collecting Exhibition Posters April 8, 2020 Vintage Posters What You Should Know About Collecting Exhibition Posters Lauren Goldberg, our vintage poster specialist, takes us through the ins-and-outs of what to look for when collecting an exhibition poster.
Read more about Tadanori Yokoo: Pop Visionary April 6, 2020 Vintage Posters Tadanori Yokoo: Pop Visionary Internationally-renowned graphic artist and designer Tadanori Yokoo, who has been called “the grandmaster of Japanese pop-psych art,” got his start as a stage designer for avant garde theatre in Tokyo. It is no wonder why his eventual foray into poster design resulted in graphics that are unfailingly theatrical and dramatic—drawing on Psychedelia, mysticism, Pop culture and Japanese imagery.
Read more about WPA Posters: Favorites from a Vintage Posters Specialist April 2, 2020 The Artists of the WPA WPA Posters: Favorites from a Vintage Posters Specialist In addition to the many murals, sculptures, paintings and photos commissioned by the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s and forties, graphic artists designed hundreds upon hundreds of posters for the agency, of which about two million copies were printed and only a fraction survived.
Read more about Puerto Rican Poster Archive Shines in Winter-Spring 2020 Sale of Vintage Posters February 18, 2020 Vintage Posters Puerto Rican Poster Archive Shines in Winter-Spring 2020 Sale of Vintage Posters Our sale of Vintage Posters on Thursday, February 13 was the house’s most successful February poster offering in over 10 years.
Read more about A Puerto Rican Archive of Graphic Design February 6, 2020 Vintage Posters A Puerto Rican Archive of Graphic Design Our winter-spring 2020 sale of Vintage Posters on February 13 is set to feature an extensive archive of over 350 posters by Puerto Rico’s most renowned painters, designers and graphic artists. Here Nicholas D. Lowry, the house’s vintage posters director, touches on the featured artists and the movement that brought these works to light.
Read more about Vintage Posters: Winter-Spring 2020 Highlights December 10, 2019 Vintage Posters Vintage Posters: Winter-Spring 2020 Highlights Ski poster enthusiasts always find something appealing in our winter Vintage Posters auction, but most exciting is the section of rare and important Art Nouveau posters
Read more about 20 Years of Travel Posters Pays Off with 10 New Records November 20, 2019 Vintage Posters 20 Years of Travel Posters Pays Off with 10 New Records “After twenty years of conducting auctions of Rare and Important Travel Posters it was validating to see the sale turn in the best results in the last three years,” noted Nicholas D. Lowry, Swann Galleries’ President and Director of Vintage Posters. The Thursday, November 14 auction saw a 75% sell-through rate, an “industry-leading number as no other poster sales come close to this level of success,” continued Lowry, as well as bringing ten new records for artists and images alike.