Australian and international travel posters about to take off in New York

By David Hulme & Brigitte Banziger, on 24-Oct-2011

Twelve classic Australian travel posters feature prominently in Swann Auction Galleries sale of rare and important travel posters on 11 November, in New York. The 186 lots inspire dreams of travelling in style to exotic places all over the world, write David Hulme and Brigitte Banziger.

Included are four posters by Gert Sellheim, including perhaps the best offering, lot 56, Australia / Surf Club, circa 1936, estimated at US$3,000 - 4,000. Sellheim famously designed the Qantas logo of the Flying Kangaroo.

At a time when more and more art is being purchased online, the appeal of the strong graphic image is undeniable. Early posters in all their forms are being helped by the online buying craze, and rock’n’roll and movie poster are finding new audiences through burgeoning online sales. The ongoing strength of our dollar continues to assist the Australian buyer.

Auction prices for travel posters are often around the US$800 - 1,200 mark. However, for the best images, there is a lot of competition, and paying US $10,000 to $20,000 is not unusual for rare or iconic images in mint condition.

Posters promoting Australia include an Australian National Airlines poster from 1955 by Ronald Clayton Skate, estimated at US$800 - 1,200.

Our most well-known and prolific poster designer Percy Trompf is represented with lot 53,  ‘Western Australia, 1936’, also estimated at US$800 – 1,200.

There are four posters by Gert Sellheim, including perhaps the best offering, lot 56, Australia / Surf Club, circa 1936. Sellheim famously designed the Qantas logo of the Flying Kangaroo.

Five delightful images by one of Australia and New Zealand’s finest printmakers Eileen Mayo are also on offer. The best of these are lots 59 and 60, The Koala, from 1957, at US$2,000 – 3,000, and The Kangaroo, from the same year and with the same estimate.

We also like lot 54, a most evocative image created by an unknown designer for the Australian National Travel Association and produced by McLarens & Co, Melbourne, with an estimate of US$1,500 – 2,000.

In the international offering, the standouts in the sale are lot 21, a beautiful and early French Air Show poster from 1909, Aerodrome de Vichy by Roger Jourdain, estimate US$8,000 – 10,000, and lot 88, Emil Cardinaux’s Palace Hotel, St. Moritz, printed by Wolfsberg, Zurich, 1921, and estimated at US$10,000 – 15,000.

One of the most sought after lots will be number 93, the very rare poster advertising sailings for the return trip to Europe from New York for a fare as low as US$36.25. Swann Galleries suggest in their description that its scarcity would be due to the fact that White Star Line would have pulled down and destroyed as many of these posters as possible after the disaster that befell their flagship.

The auction takes place on 11th November, New York City, 1.30 pm local time.

About The Author

Brigitte Banziger and David Hulme are the principals of Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants, established since 2003. With their combined experience of over 40 years, they provide private collectors as well as companies and public institutions with independent expert art valuations. In addition to their appraisals for insurance, family law, deceased estates and market values, they assist clients with transparent advice when buying or selling an individual artwork or an entire collection, for some of Australia’s most significant private collectors. David Hulme is an approved valuer for the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, and both Brigitte and David are members of the Art Consulting Association of Australia, where David served as President from 2015 to 2019. David Hulme is a regular art market critic and commentator on the Australian art market and has been interviewed by numerous media, including the 'Australian Financial Review', 'The Australian' and 'The Sydney Morning Herald'. He has also been interviewed on Network 10’s 'The Project', on the ABC’s Radio National Breakfast show with Hamish MacDonald, the ABC’s 'The Business' program amongst many others.

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