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Posters For Sale
Period: Mid-20th Century
Period: 1950s
Period: 1940s
Elvis Presley 'Love Me Tender' Original Vintage British Quad Movie Poster, 1956
Located in Devon, GB
Long harbouring a dream of becoming a movie star as well as a chart topping rock and roll idol, Elvis Presley made his acting debut as Clint Reno in this 1956 Western, starring as th...
Category

1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Linen, Paper

Vintage Enameled Advertising Sign Berliet
Located in Vienna, AT
Original vintage "Berliet" advertising enamel sign, made in France in the 1930s. Dimension: 65 x 42 cm.
Category

1930s German Industrial Vintage Posters

Materials

Steel

Original Vintage World War Two Poster Fruits Of Victory National Savings WWII
Located in London, GB
Original vintage World War Two poster - To Enjoy the Fruits of Victory Save Now - featuring a countryside illustration From the original by Rowland Hilder (1905-1993) depicting a rur...
Category

1940s Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Rare Charles Olson/David Roth 'Poster Poem' of Black Mountain College Interest
Located in Sharon, CT
Charles Olson's "The heart is a clock" Poster Poem published 1968 by Edward Budowski (Aries Publications Buffalo N.Y.) in a numbered edition of 25-this i...
Category

1960s American Minimalist Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Travel Poster Come To Malta Frank Portelli Mediterranean Beach
Located in London, GB
Original vintage travel poster - Come to Malta - featuring a colourful design by Frank Portelli (1922-2004) depicting a bottle of wine and fruit on a table under a green and white st...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

1988 David Hockney Original Exhibition Malcolm Bradford Hall Los Angeles
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
1988 David Hockney Original Exhibition Malcolm Bradford Hall Los Angeles Rare, Original, Vintage 1988 David Hockney Out-of-Print, limited edition Lithograph. Published in Yorkshire,...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Posters

Materials

Paper

Dial M for Murder
Located in London, GB
Original American film poster for the Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1954 thriller Dial M for Murder. This film starred Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Rober Cummings. This piece is conserv...
Category

1950s American Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster Zermatt Switzerland Matterhorn Skiing Winter Sport Alps
Located in London, GB
Original vintage skiing and winter sport travel poster for Zermatt Switzerland Schweiz Suisse featuring a dynamic photo by Alfred Perren-Barberini of a skier wearing a red ski jacket...
Category

1960s Swiss Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

1969 Roy Lichtenstein Guggenheim Museum Exhibition Poster, Framed
Located in Miami, FL
1969 Roy Lichtenstein Guggenheim Museum Exhibition Poster, Framed Offered for sale is an original Roy Lichtenstein exhibition poster dating from the Solomon R. Guggenheim exhibit w...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Posters

Materials

Wire

Original Vintage Cartoon Batman Poster For The Iconic Comic Superhero "...Uhh!"
Located in London, GB
Original vintage Batman cartoon poster featuring a colourful illustration of the comic book superhero wearing his grey and blue costume, mask and cape with the bat logo on a yellow background on his chest, the cartoon character leaning back as he's hit by something with his speech bubble reading: Nonsense! There are no such things as – Uhh! Artwork by the notable American comics artist Carmine Michael...
Category

1960s American Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Pinocchio
Located in London, GB
Original artwork used to create the British front of house stills. Gouache on artboard. This original artwork features the films scene where Pinocchio is under the sea. Exceptionally rare. Original artworks rarely surface, as the majority were destroyed. Pieces on the Classic Disney films are always highly prized. This original artwork only recently surfaced, and was previously owned by an English lady, who had been given this piece in the 1940s. Prior to this discovery no other Pinocchio artwork for posters or front of house stills had been seen. Walt Disney's second animated feature film was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, (1937). Pinocchio, the world’s most famous wooden puppet, is originally the creation of the Italian writer and social commentator Carlo Collodi. Entitled The Adventures of Pinocchio...
Category

1940s British Vintage Posters

Materials

Paint

Original Vintage Advertising Poster Olivetti Lettera 22 Flowers Typewriter
Located in London, GB
Original vintage advertising poster for the Olivetti Lettera 22 portable mechanical typewriter designed by Marcello Nizzoli in 1949 featuring a great mid-century graphic design depic...
Category

1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Roy Lichtenstein "Temple" (Castelli Mailer)
Located in New York, NY
Mailer/poster published to announce Roy Lichtenstein’s Landscapes exhibition held at New York’s Leo Castelli Gallery from October 24th to November 19th, 1964. Offset lithograph in co...
Category

1960s American Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Art Deco Travel Poster Nice PLM Railway Paris Lyon Mediterranee
Located in London, GB
Original vintage Art Deco travel poster issued by the PLM Paris Lyon Mediterranee railway for Nice featuring stunning artwork depicting an elegant lady relaxing on a balcony with a v...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Cappiello, Original Vintage Poster, Mossant Hat, Gloves, Gentleman dressing 1938
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Original Vintage Poster for Mossant Hats dating from 1938 by Leonetto Cappiello. Artist: Leonetto Cappiello Title: Mossant Date: 1938 Size: 47.25 X 63 in / 120 X 160 cm Printer : Editions Nouvelles Cappiello, EDIMO, 15 rue Galvani - Paris Materials and Techniques: Colour lithograph on paper Linen backing: Yes Condition: A (Normally designates a poster in very good condition. Colours are fresh and there is very little or no paper loss. Any imperfections are marginal and unnoticeable). Additional Details: The headquarters Mossant was founded in 1833 by Casimir Mossant. The company is developing thanks in particular to the development of the railway, which allows for distant supplies and expeditions. In the 1920s, the firm Mossant is at its peak. The factory employs 1,200 workers and produces up to 2000 hats per day, nearly half of which is in the United States. After 1929, the economic crisis affected exports and the company diversified its production of felt (bags, berets, ...). Hat manufacturing activity declined and, in the 1950s, the factory's activity was converted into apparel until 1985, when the company was wound up. About Leonetto Cappiello, The Father of Modern Advertising Leonetto Cappiello, born on April 9, 1875, in Livorno, Italy, is considered a pioneer in the world of advertising, often referred to often hailed as the "father of modern advertising." His groundbreaking work in poster design revolutionized the industry and cemented his status as a visionary artist. Cappiello was renowned for his innovative and impactful poster designs, characterized by bold colors, simple forms, strong outlines and a strong focus on the product. His work significantly influenced the development of advertising as an art form. Initially drawn to caricature, Cappiello's true genius blossomed when he shifted his focus to poster art. His innovative approach, marked by bold colors, simple colours, simplified forms, strong outlines and a strong emphasis on product identification, set him apart from his contemporaries. Cappiello’s posters were instantly recognizable, capturing the essence of a product or brand in a single, powerful image. His work significantly influenced the development of advertising as an art form. The artist's career flourished in Paris, where he immersed himself in the vibrant artistic scene and his work spanned various industries: Food and Beverage: Campari, Cinzano, Café Martin...
Category

1930s French Belle Époque Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Travel Advertising Poster Waterloo Station Southern Railway
Located in London, GB
Original vintage train travel advertising poster issued by Southern Railway - Waterloo Station 1848-1948 A Centenary of Uninterrupted Service During Peace and War - featuring a detailed illustration of the busy Central London station depicting people in smart suits and fashionable dresses, shoppers and families, people in different military uniform, boy scouts and porters, a girl sitting on a suitcase and two ladies running to make their train, a couple kissing and a man pushing a bicycle, people at the news stand and buying tickets at the main line booking office, Royal Mail vans parked on the side and steam trains on the platforms, a green Southern Railway van with a penguin on the side advertising Chessington Zoo and Circus driving by in the foreground, the glass ceiling architecture and the iconic four-faced clock...
Category

1940s British Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster 25th Anniversary Komsomol USSR WWII Soviet Propaganda
Located in London, GB
Original vintage World War Two Soviet propaganda poster - Long Live the 25th Anniversary of the Leninist-Stalinist Komsomol! Dynamic artwork depicting soldiers and workers marching f...
Category

1940s Russian Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Travel Poster Beyrouth Liban Beirut Lebanon Middle East Design
Located in London, GB
Original vintage travel poster for Beyrouth Liban / Beirut Lebanon featuring a compass design with arrows pointing to a red dot in the centre, the text ...
Category

1950s Lebanese Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Motor Sport Poster Mercedes Benz Silberpfeile Silver Arrow Art
By Hans Liska
Located in London, GB
Original vintage motor sport advertising poster celebrating the Mercedes Benz victory at the European Grand Prix 1954 - Triumph der Silberpfeile Mercedes-B...
Category

1950s German Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Breakfast At Tiffany's
Located in London, GB
Original Japanese press sheet poster film for Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) This film was directed by Blake Edwards, and stars Audrey Hepburn and...
Category

1960s Japanese Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster Daily Guinness Newspaper Design Irish Stout Beer Drink
Located in London, GB
Original vintage Guinness advertising poster - Daily Guinness - featuring a smiling lady wearing a striped blue dress reading the Lunch Edition of the Daily Guinness newspaper and holding a glass of the Irish stout beer Guinness, the articles all featuring news items relating to the drink including the excavation of hand-made Guinness Stout bottles from a shipwreck off Barwon Heads that sunk in 1869 and information on a Chinese custom of putting a bottle of Guinness in the first bath of a new born baby. One of the world's most popular beer drink...
Category

1960s British Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

The Magnificent Seven
Located in London, GB
Original US film poster for the legendary western The Magnificent Seven 1960. This film starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson and James Coburn and was di...
Category

1960s American Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Flesh / Andy Warhol's Flesh
Located in London, GB
Original Australian film poster for the 1968 drama staring Joe Dallesandro and Geraldine Smith, and directed by Paul Morrissey. This film was pr...
Category

1960s Australian Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster San Fermin Running Of The Bulls Pamplona Spain Encierro
Located in London, GB
Original vintage travel advertising poster for the 1954 San Fermin festival in Pamplona Spain on 6-20 July / San Fermin de 1954 Ferias y Fiestas del 6 al 20...
Category

1950s Spanish Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Large Fap'Anis Drink Advertising Poster, circa 1930
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This artwork poster for a French aperitif is a virtual explosion of color. A French flapper in a flowing gown enjoys a panoramic vista of the Mediterranean coast and a glass of Fap’ Anis...
Category

1930s French Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster - For Sunshine Mallorca - Travel Mediterranean Sea Spain
Located in London, GB
Original vintage travel poster - For Sunshine ... Mallorca - issued by Fomento Turismo de Palma featuring artwork by the Austrian painter Erwin Hubert (18...
Category

1930s Spanish Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)
Located in London, GB
Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) Original Three Sheet (41 x 81 Inches) Audrey Hepburn created a number of classic performances during her cinematic career, but none were more popular o...
Category

1960s Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Ladri di Biciclette / Bicycle Thieves
Located in London, GB
Original Italian film poster for 1948 landmark Neo-Realism film Ladri di Biciclette / Bicycle Thieves. This film was directed by Vittorio De Sica and starred Lamberto Maggiorani, En...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Soviet Intourist Poster Yalta Sochi USSR Travel Seaside Resorts
Located in London, GB
Original vintage travel poster issued by Intourist - Healthy Pleasant Holidays Your Holidays in Yalta and Sochi The Great Soviet Seaside Resorts / Vacan...
Category

1960s Russian Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Located in London, GB
Original US Lobby card number 4 designed for the legendary 1961 Audrey Hepburn Comedy, Romance. This film was directed by Blake Edwards, and stars Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard....
Category

1960s American Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Advertising Poster Paris Exposition Internationale Art Deco
Located in London, GB
Original vintage advertising poster for the Paris 1937 Exposition Internationale / International Exhibition held from May to November featuring a...
Category

1930s French Art Deco Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster Lambretta Scooter Factory Workshop Advertising Art
Located in London, GB
Original vintage advertising poster for Lambretta featuring great artwork by the French artist Albert Brenet (1903-2005) showing production workers in a factory with a row of the ico...
Category

1950s French Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Ferruccio Garopesani Original Art Exhibition Poster
Located in Miami, FL
Original art exhibition poster by painter and designer Ferruccio Garopesani. Presented in 1975 at the Galleria International d'Arte - Diorena - Ascona, Italy. A native of Milan, I...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Posters

Materials

Paper

Original M.C. Esher Black Light poster ''Dream'' 1960s
Located in Den Haag, NL
Unique and original very rare Black Light poster M.C. Escher After M.C.Escher Wood Engraving Dream 1935 . The poster still has its Bright colors and with the Black Light on ,its ...
Category

1960s Dutch Space Age Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Railway Travel Poster French Riviera Cote d'Azur Ceria SNCF Art
Located in London, GB
Original vintage SNCF railway travel poster for the Cote d'Azur / French Riviera on the Mediterranean coast featuring a scenic view by the French painter Edmond Ceria (1884-1955) tow...
Category

1950s French Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster Arms Of The Catalan State Spain Civil War Propaganda
Located in London, GB
Original vintage Spanish Civil War propaganda poster - Rights are Gained by the Weapons of the Catalan State / El Dret es Guanya per les Armes Estat Catala - featuring a dynamic imag...
Category

1930s Spanish Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster Volkswagen Car Showroom Ad VW Beetle Hole In The Roof
Located in London, GB
Original vintage car dealer showroom advertising poster for Volkswagen Beetle - Our most expensive option: A hole in the roof - featuring a great design showing a smartly dressed man wearing a suit and looking up to the viewer through the open sun roof of a VW Beetle...
Category

1960s American Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

1930s Futurist Watercolor of a Motorbike Race by Italian Artist Aris Bacci
Located in London, GB
A 1930s futurist watercolor painting of a motorbike race by Italian futurist artist Aris Bacci. Mounted in original geometric cream mottled frame, with stun...
Category

1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Posters

Materials

Wood, Paper

Original Vintage Soviet Space Race Propaganda Poster Moon Probe USSR Peace Art
Located in London, GB
Original vintage Soviet space race era propaganda poster - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics USSR September 1959 In the Name of Peace and Progress!...
Category

1950s Russian Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Apple Snail Escargot Jung Koch Quentell Vintage Poster Print Wall Chart
Located in Berghuelen, DE
A classical Jung Koch Quentell close up depicting an apple snail (escargot) and its anatomy. Used as teaching material in German schools. Colorful print on paper reinforced with canv...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Country Posters

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paper

Original Vintage WWI Propaganda Poster Back Them Up Tank Attack Western Desert
Located in London, GB
Original vintage World War Two propaganda poster, Back Them Up! A British tank attack in the Western Desert, featuring a dynamic illustration of a tank ...
Category

1940s British Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster Air France Reseau Aerian Mondial Planisphere World Map
Located in London, GB
Original vintage Air France travel advertising poster featuring a map of the world by Lucien Boucher (1889-1971): Air France Reseau Aerian Mondial / Global Air Network. Colourful planisphere design showing the airline routes around the world marking the continents, countries, cities and oceans with scenes of local people in traditional clothing, sport activities, boats and ships at sea, farming, animals, mythical figures and planes flying overhead, a decorative compass point above and the title text with the Air France seahorse...
Category

1930s French Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

North by Northwest
Located in London, GB
Original Japanese film poster from the first release of this Classic Hitchcock in Japan in 1959. This film starred Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The art work on this p...
Category

1950s Japanese Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

The Beatles by Richard Avedon, Look Magazine, Offset Lithographs, Framed
Located in New York, NY
The Beatles by Richard Avedon, offset lithographs, for Look Magazine, framed. Set of 4 Look Magazine Beatles posters with bright colors and minor toning and handling wear. The posters are in very good condition - having been stored in the original shipping tube (included in the listing). Each poster has been archivally floated on a white matte board, under UV plexiglass and framed in a 1.25 inch white lacquer wood cube molding. Measurements: Sheet image sizes: 31 inches H; x 22.5 inches W; Framed size: 39 inches H x 30 inches W x 1.25 inches D. Printed in the lower left of each poster is the band member's name; E.g., JOHN LENNON photographed by Richard Avedon for Look Magazine. Original Look Magazine shipping tube is emblazoned with groovy psychedelic "Beatles", shows the recipient's address and the sender's return address: Beatles Posters Box 1 Look Building Des Moines, IA. 50304 Background of Avedon/Beatles Collaboration: The Beatles were photographed by Richard Avedon on August 11th, 1967. The shoot took place at a photography studio in a penthouse at Thompson House, 200 Gray's Inn Road, London, England. The American photographer took a number of shots of the group, four of which were later embellished with psychedelic effects. The posters were printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd of London/ The publisher's information appears in the lower right margin of each poster. One a side note, Avedon sold the copyrights of both the photos he took that day and his psychedelic embellishments, executed in post production, to NEMS Enterprises, Ltd. - a firm run by the Beatles music manager Brian Epstein. On Aug 27, 1967, sixteen days after Avedon’s Beatles photo session, Beatles manager Brian Epstein died from an overdose of Carbitol. The Beatles were shocked. By strange twist of fate, the Beatles were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s meditation seminar at Bangor, North Wales. The guru they had just met in London became a substitute for their use of psychedelics and a cushion for their bereavement. Avedon, unknowingly to the Beatles, or even himself, had captured this true spiritual essence just weeks before. January 1968 was the initial concurrent publication of the Avedon photos...
Category

1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

The Endless Summer
Located in London, GB
Original Japanese film poster for Bruce Brown's cult 1966 surfing documentary. This very cool artwork was only used on this Japanese poster. This poster is conservation linen backed...
Category

1960s Japanese Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Travel Poster Riga Intourist Visit USSR Soviet Latvia Cathedral
Located in London, GB
Original vintage travel poster for Riga Visit USSR - Рига Посетите CCCP - issued by the Soviet state tourism agency Intourist featuring tourists exploring the historic city walking p...
Category

1950s Russian Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

"Ready. Join U.S. Marines" Vintage WWII Recruitment Poster by Haddon Sundblom
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
This is an original World War II Marines recruitment poster, issued in 1942. The poster depicts a uniformed Marine, standing strong and proud at attention. The persuasive text reads ...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster CONTRATTO CAPPIELLO, 1930 Large
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Artist  Leonetto Cappiello Year 1930 Dimensions 137x198cm Condition Good    
Category

1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

M German Film Program cover
Located in London, GB
Original German cover from film program for the classic crime thriller M this 1931 masterpiece was directed by Fritz Lang and starred Peter Lorre and Ellen Widmann. This poster is un...
Category

1930s German Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Vintage Poster Original Bourin Quinquina Poster Bellenger 1936 Food &Wine French
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Fun with beautiful colours, this is a very clever poster by Bellenger from 1936. Artist Bellenger Year 1936 Dimensions 130 x 200 cm Condition Good Format Linen backed
Category

1930s Art Deco Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Gayraud, Original Vintage Poster, Morocco Map, Royal Air Maroc, Essaouira, 1950
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Poster created by the artist Gayraud around 1950 and published by Royal Air Maroc to promote tourism in Morocco. Artist: Gayraud M. Title: L’architecture – Royal Air Maroc Date: c...
Category

1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

"Vertigo" Original US Trade Advertisement
Located in London, GB
Original US trade advertisement for Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 Classic Thriller starring James Stewart, Kim Novak. The art work is by the renowned graphic designer Saul Bass (1920-1996)...
Category

1950s American Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster Fly Far-FarEastern Airways Vietnam Anti War US Soldiers
Located in London, GB
Original vintage anti-war political poster criticising the Vietnam War (1955-1975): Fly Far-FarEastern Airways this vacation visit beautiful Vietnam styled in a satirical travel poster design featuring a plane flying across the top of the poster above the mock airline slogan with a cartoon illustration of two American soldiers in US Army uniform and military helmets...
Category

1960s American Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original 1961 Exhibition Poster - "Dibujos de Picasso" by Pablo Picasso - Framed
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Own a rare piece of art history with this original exhibition poster, "Dibujos de Picasso", created for the renowned 1961 exhibition at Sala Gaspar in Barcelona. This authentic litho...
Category

1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Original Vintage Poster, 'Relax' 1964 by Rene Gruau
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Original Vintage Poster, 'Relax' 1964 by Rene Gruau The fifties were the last flowering of the golden age of the ocean liner, which would soon be usurped by the jet plane. During th...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Nora Inu / Stray Dog
Located in London, GB
This is an exceptionally rare very rare original Japanese film poster for Akira Kurosawa's 1949 crime film. This is not the general release poster but one created for local theatres ...
Category

1940s Japanese Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Calder Exhibition Poster, Galerie Maeght, 1959
Located in Savannah, GA
An original exhibition poster lithograph for Alexander Calder show at Galerie Maeght in Paris, 1959. 18 ½ by 25 ½ inches
Category

1950s French Vintage Posters

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

Original Vintage Advertising Poster Guinness For Strength Axe Tree John Gilroy
Located in London, GB
Original vintage Guinness advertising poster - Guinness for Strength - featuring an iconic design by the notable artist John Gilroy (John Thomas Young Gilroy; 1898-1985) depicting a ...
Category

1930s British Vintage Posters

Materials

Paper

Antique and Vintage Posters

Add a welcome personal touch to your space and tie your distinctive interior scheme together by introducing antique and vintage posters to any and every room of your home.

In the late 19th century, following the advent of text-heavy posters printed from woodblocks for use in taverns and shop windows, hand-drawn poster art had become commonplace in regions such as France, England and the United States. Well-known illustrators were commissioned to produce decorative posters to advertise political campaigns, theatrical events, books, household goods and other items. Early poster artists used a printmaking technique called lithography, which sees drawings or paintings created on a stone (or metal) surface with an oil-based substance, such as a greasy crayon or tusche (an oily wash). The image is eventually affixed to the surface by means of a chemical reaction, and ink adheres to certain sections of the surface while non–image areas are made to repel the ink.

If you wanted a color lithograph in the early days, the number of stones prepared had to match the number of colors you commissioned for the poster. French painter Jules Chéret, widely known as the father of the modern poster, designed some of history's most popular lithographic posters that featured color. Today, Chéret’s art is highly collectible, along with original works by Czech painter and decorative artist Alphonse Mucha, whose posters advertising theatrical productions helped define Art Nouveau.

Over time, poster artists transitioned to more advanced techniques. Using silkscreens, woodblocks and photolithography, painters and illustrators printed larger quantities at a faster rate.

If you’ve finally tracked down that vintage movie poster, mid-century modern promotional travel poster or other work and you’re looking to find out if it is valuable, distinguishing between an original poster and a reproduction can be complicated. A professional appraiser can work with you on factors such as rarity, assessing the physical condition of your poster and authenticating your piece. For now, take care of your new acquisition because conserving posters is essential in helping them retain their value. A practical conservation method is to have the work mounted on archival, acid-free paper and thin artist’s canvas, then enclosing it in a sturdy frame. (And here is a primer on how to hang wall art, be it arranged gallery-style or otherwise.)

On 1stDibs, find all kinds of posters for your home today.

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