1934 Art Deco Travel Posters
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GUEST:
My grandfather was a professor at Pratt for 40 years, and...
APPRAISER:
Where he was a professor of...?
GUEST:
Of art there. I mean, he taught a lot of beginning courses: painting, drawing, everything. And we found this in my grandmother's house after she died, and I recognized the Pullman name as being the trains.
APPRAISER:
Right, the Pullman name is associated with trains, but these have a rather broad appeal. Here we have an image of a woman trout fishing. Here we have an image of a woman sailing. And here we have an image of a woman skiing. These are great images, sort of very early girl power themes. These posters date from the 1930s. They're all dated 1934. What they also have going for them is that they are a very strong Art Deco style, each one of them. In the trout fishing one, you have the pattern of the water and in the waterfall. Also in the sailing one, you have the pattern of the water. And that Art Deco style is a very collectible, very appreciated style. Were these pieces to come up at auction separately, the trout fishing piece would probably bring between $1,500 and $2,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
The same goes for the sailing piece, about $1,500 to $2,000. But skiing is something a little bit special. Skiing is the flavor of the month in the poster collecting community at the moment. It is so hot. And at auction, a ski poster of this quality would sell for between $4,000 and $6,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh. Okay... wow.
APPRAISER:
So I don't know if you realize that, but you've come with a lot of very impressive, wonderful pieces of art.
GUEST:
Oh, that's fantastic.
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