Among the rarities are a couple of posters from a group of 20 by the artist Leonetto Cappiello (1875-1942), all in his distinctive style.
His Carnaval Vinho do Porto of 1911 is the only known version to have been offered at auction, in 2005 when it was acquired by the vendor. It carries an estimate of $20,000-30,000.
Cappiello’s Fêtes du Congres International des Etudiants in Bordeaux from four years earlier shows a female Bacchus squeezing grapes into her companion’s goblet (estimate $8000-12,000).
American Temperance Society poster
A much more (literally) sobering counterpoint to these celebratory promotions is a collection of 20 small-format posters from the 1950s by an unknown designer for the American Temperance Society.
They include taglines such as Alcoholic Beverages of Any Kind do not Mix with Football or, shown here, Alcohol destroys Feminine Loveliness. The group is expected to make $2000-3000.
The American Temperance Society poster that is estimated at $2000-3000 at Swann Galleries.
This 600-lot auction ranges wide over many categories also featuring First and Second World War posters, circus subjects and Art Nouveau posters.
