Australian Poster Cornucopia at Swann Galleries New York

By David Hulme & Brigitte Banziger, on 10-Oct-2014

Swann Galleries’ sale of Rare and Important Travel Posters on 14th October in New York may well be the largest offering of Australian travel posters, at least according to Nicholas Lowry, director of Swann’s vintage posters department. More than 50 posters of the 198 on offer are promoting travel to and within Australia. They come from the treasure trove of a prominent Australian collector, and include most of the British posters on offer in this sale, too.

More than 50 posters of the 198 on offer at the Swann Galleries’ sale of Rare and Important Travel Posters on 14th October in New York promote travel to and within Australia. The sale includes Arthur Michael’s "India, Australia and Intermediate Ports" with an estimate of US$1,500-US$2,000.

With values ever increasing in this field, it is perhaps surprising that no Australian auctioneer seems to have made a move into this strongly emerging genre, especially with such striking modernist images like Walter Jardine’s Travel / Air. Land. Sea / Book through Burns, Philp and Co Ltd, circa 1930 (Lot 42 ), estimated at US$4,000-US$6,000.

Travel posters appeal not only because of their strong colours and graphics, but also because of their size at usually 100 x 62 cm or so, well suited to the move to contemporary city apartment living, and away from traditional paintings, which is occurring in Australia.

Likewise, Frank Wooton’s And Now Rolls Royce – Speed and Comfort in the Air / Trans-Australia Airlines, circa 1954 (Lot 43 ) is a gorgeous image bringing the luxury of travel and Australia together, estimated at US$2,000-US$3,000.

A more perfect summation of modernism is difficult to imagine than Arthur Michael’s India, Australia and Intermediate Ports, circa 1935 (Lot 50 ), with estimates of US$1,500-US$2,000.

Another gem by P&O is lot 62 To Australia for £37, by Raphael Roussel, circa 1930, estimated at US$2,500-US$3,500.

Percy Trompf’s image of the almost completed Sydney Harbour Bridge from 1930 (Lot 65 ) is as powerful as any Grace Cossington-Smith image, though estimated at a meagre US$5,000-US$7,000.

There are a number of posters by well known exponents of the art form: Gert Sellheim is extremely well represented in the sale with nine examples, and the most interesting would be the minimalist lots 92 to 95, which should receive some very competitive bidding.

Swann Galleries achieved an auction record in November 2011 for an example of Gert Sellheim’s Surf Club 1936, which sold for US$20,000 hammer price on estimates of US$3,000-US$4,000. This time, Surf Club (Lot 93 ) is estimated at US$5,000-US$7,500.

A very appealing image is lot 101, F.G. Longstaff’s Delightful Views from the Carriage Windows, New South Wales Railways, with estimates of US$1,000-US$1,500.

One of the stand-outs is lot 84, designed by William Dobell for the Orient Line, Orient Line to Australia / 20,000 Ton Ships, circa 1938, estimated at US$3,000-US$4,000. Other artists and poster designers include Will Ashton, Eileen Mayo, James Northfield, Frank McNamara and Charles Meere.

The combined estimate for the Australian travel posters alone in the sale is US$120,000 to US$180,000.

According to Nicholas Lowry, this is an opportunity to see fantastic previously unseen images by important artists. A number of these posters can be found in the archives of the National Museum of Australia, but not all of them. This means that collectors of Australian posters have the opportunity to acquire images so rare that even the most important institutions in Australia don't have a copy.

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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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