What
does “Original” mean?
What were these vintage posters used for?
How were the original posters made?
How do you price the posters?
Where do you find posters?
Why are they in such good condition?
What kind of paper are they on?
Do vintage art posters increase in value?
How do I know that I’m buying an original poster?
How do you usually display vintage posters?
I’ve seen this poster before at a different price. Why is
there a price variation?
What does “Original”
mean?
All of our posters are
from the original or first printing, which means that if a poster has a specific
date, such as 1930, in the margin, then that is the year when the poster was
actually printed. Because these are lithographs, there is no one “original”
piece. The art was drawn directly onto the lithography stones, and printed
in runs numbering from a few hundred to approximately 3,000 posters. The stones
deteriorated during the printing process, and could not be reused.
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What were these old
posters used for?
Posters were the first
form of modern color advertising. Posters were used to promote products, events,
travel and political ideas. They were placed on exterior walls, precursors
to today’s billboards, as well as inside buildings, railway stations, sidewalk
kiosks and other public places.
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How were they made?
The primary printing
technique was stone lithography, a procedure refined and simplified in the
late 1800’s by a Parisian printer and artist named Jules Cheret (1836-1932).
The process was done by hand and is very much an art form in itself. By drawing
the images on large lithographic stones, it became feasible to print enormous
posters in color. Jules Cheret is known as the "Father of the Color Lithograph
Poster."
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How do you price them?
Vintage posters are priced
and appreciate very much like collectible coins and stamps. There are limited
remaining quantities of any specific image. Prices are established by the
poster’s rarity, condition, artist, and subject matter, and are directly affected
by the market price established at auction.
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Where do you find posters?
Most of our vintage posters are found in Europe at markets, printers,
book and paper dealers, auctions and private collections.
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Why are they in such
good condition?
Posters have been collectibles
since they were introduced to Europe in the 1800s. Many of them were never
posted, for several reasons. When a new poster was issued, the printer would
purposely do an overrun in order to sell them privately to print dealers and
turn-of-the-century collectors. These posters were valued and preserved. Others
were stored and forgotten, only recently rediscovered in attics and warehouses.
On occasion, vintage posters need minor restoration. Any restoration performed
on our vintage posters meets museum preservation standards and is done in
France by experts who specialize in paper restoration.
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What kind of paper are
they on?
The original posters
were printed on a very thin, cheap paper, similar to newsprint. In order to
protect the poster, we back it on a linen fabric/canvas, with a layer of acid
free paper and wheat paste between it. The backing can be removed and the
poster returned to its original form.
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Do posters increase
in value?
Vintage posters have
been collected and offered at auction for many years. The recent increase
in the visibility of poster art has driven demand to the highest levels ever.
Many posters have tripled in value over the past several years, and some have
commanded six figures at public auction.
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How do I know that I’m
buying an original poster?
As with any other product
or service, the vendor you choose is very important. Education about the artwork
should be available, as well as some guarantee from the gallery as to authenticity
and origin. Since these pieces were not originally produced as fine art, there
were no certificates or numbering systems to use for identification.
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How do you usually display
vintage posters?
Posters are usually framed
and hung just like a painting or other printed wall art. The poster backing
is trimmed to about .25” of the original paper, and attached to the linen
canvas with wheat paste. Someone who is experienced in the care of vintage
posters should perform this service. For over-sized pieces, we recommend the
use of Plexiglas in order to reduce the weight and chance of damage due to
breakage. UVA-treated Plexiglas will reduce the chance of damage due to sunlight.
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I’ve seen this poster
before at a different price. Why is there a price variation?
All products experience
price variation from one source to another. The nature of antiques and other
collectibles is such that this variation can be greater than with other products.
Many factors affect the market price on art. When a cache of a particular
image is discovered, the art pieces are distributed through the dealer and
collector community. The price will reflect the dealer’s position on this
distribution chain; the length of time the dealer has owned it; and the poster’s
condition, rarity, artist and subject matter. No two posters are in the same
condition. A poster can appreciate several times while in the possession of
a dealer, without the dealer’s knowledge.
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