August 2016 | Rebecca Rego Barry

Literary Posters at Auction

Alongside an array of vintage war, travel, and political posters on offer at Swann Galleries this week, a few gems that feature literary magazines caught my eye. I dare say these posters, particularly those that headline a coveted author, might be "gateway" buys that introduce book collectors to the poster market. If nothing else, they will enhance a wall and complement a full bookcase.

719173.jpgRudyard Kipling and Anthony Hope collectors might take special notice of this McClure's poster from August 1895. The estimate is $400-600.

719174.jpgPerhaps a favorite for this readership, this advertising poster for The Bookman, Christmas 1895, depicts a Benjamin Franklinesque character perusing a bookshop. The estimate is $400-600.  

719860.jpgAccording to Swann, this poster for the March 1907 issue of Scribner's magazine is rarely seen at auction. It portrays a fashionable female reader with her Scribner's magazine in hand. The estimate is $2,500-3,500.

718716.jpgThis Paris Review poster from 1983 was designed by conceptual artist Sol LeWitt. It is signed and numbered by the artist, 75/100. The estimate is $700-1,000.