Swann Galleries in New York (www.swanngalleries.com) have built a reputation for their regular auctions in this area, and on 6th August will be offering Vintage Posters, including what they call “an outstanding group of tennis images from a private Australian collection.”
In fact, more than 70 of the 498 posters offered relate to tennis, and there are also a number of images, which relate directly to Australia.
With Nick Kyrgios’ epic win over Rafael Nadal the other night, perhaps the wonderfully modernist poster by Walter Goetz from the London Underground advertising the 1936 Davis Cup at Wimbledon (lot 171) takes your fancy, modestly estimated at just US$700-1,000.
Or you might prefer the much more glamorous and fabulous Monte Carlo (lot 196) by highly sought after poster designer Roger Broders, estimated at an equally glamorous US$15,000-20,000.
While some posters can command extraordinary sums, many stunning and large posters can be purchased for US$1,000 or less. A poster for the Kooyong Tennis Championship and Davis Cup in 1956 and 1957 (lot 218) measures 101 x 63 cm and is estimated at just US$400-600, and might well tempt the first time collector with an interest in tennis.
Amongst this diverse and interesting offering are a good number of Australian travel posters, including Australia - Fly there by BOAC and Qantas, c. 1956 (lot 396), est. US$800-1,200, and Australia – Australian National Travel Association, also c.1956 (lot 395), estimated at US$700-1,000.
Our own favourite is Manly and Warringah – The Playground of the Pacific, estimate US$500-750, of which Manly Art Gallery and Museum hold an example in their collection.
Or how about the quaintly titled Home to Ballarat – The City Beautiful from 1927 (lot 402), estimate US$700-1,000?
A good number of renowned Australian artists and designers are included in the sale, among them Percy Trompf, Walter Jardine, Martin Sharp, James Northfield, Douglas Annand, Eileen Mayo, Max Forbes and Alan D. Baker.
Swann Galleries may well continue their previous success with Australian posters. The auction house believes that the US$24,000 achieved for Gert Sellheim’s Australia – Surf Club, c. 1936 is a record price at auction for an Australian poster.
Nicholas Lowry, Swann President and Poster Specialist said:
"We are extremely lucky to handle the sale of this important private collection which was put together over years and years. The focus was not only on tennis posters but also on travel posters, beach and summer resort posters from all over the world including what is perhaps the best collection of Australian Travel posters in the world outside of the National Library of Australia."
Other themed Australian posters in the sale include war, Australian apples and Toohey’s beer.
The appeal of poster collecting is perhaps not just the ease at which to enter the market price- and shipping-wise, but also the vast array of themes that the collector can embark on: travel, movies, war, your favourite alcoholic beverage, bicycles, motorcars and aeroplanes, and of course last but not least, Bally shoes.
