Occasional sales will be catalogued by a consultant. Former specialists Nicolette Tomkinson and Sophie Churcher have already left Christie's.
The final sale in this category was the remarkable group of the finest posters restituted to the heirs of Dr Hans Sachs, a Jewish dentist from Berlin whose vast collection was seized during Kristallnacht. They were sold in the June Interiors auction.
The catalogue from Christie’s first sale of vintage posters in 1982, focusing on European masters rather than the ‘themed’ subjects that dominate the modern market.
Christie’s began selling posters in 1982 and have held regular sales since 1984. Earlier this year a ski poster by Alex Walter Diggelmann advertising the attractions of the Gstaad resort in 1934 sold for £62,000. Christie’s say the ski sale “is not currently confirmed for 2017”.
Among those hoping to fill the vacuum left in the market is Patrick Bogue of poster specialists Onslow in Dorset – for whom CSK has been the major competitor across its 35-year history. He told ATG he anticipated extra business from the ‘closing’ of the department and was pleased to report strong interest from American buyers at his July 14 sale.
Swann in New York are another firm that stage regular poster sales. Specialist Nicholas Lowry said: “Christie’s decision to close their poster department after decades of successful auctions is the biggest recent development in the market.”
