Designer unknown
BOEING 747 / THE GIANT JET IN THE SERVICE OF EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES. Circa 1971.

26½x76¾ inches, 67¼x195 cm.

El Al began flying Boeing 747s in 1971 and they were used for the New York / Tel Aviv route. The new planes were nearly twice as big as any existing aircraft in the company’s fleet. For the next 48 years the Israeli Airline operated 20 different aircraft from the 747 series. The last flight for the jumbo jet in service of the airline took place from Rome to Jerusalem in 2019. Here, an anonymous artist introduces the waning days of the psychedelic era to the new frontier of jumbo jet air service. Rare. We were able to locate only one other copy, in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, inventory number A19960170000.

Hafid al-droubi (1914-1991)
WELCOME TO BAGHDAD. Circa 1960.

35¾x24½ inches, 90¾x62¼ cm. Atar, Geneva.

Al-Droubi was a member of the "Pioneers" art group, Iraq's first formal arts society, and was a key proponent of the formation and development of Iraq's arts community. Best-known for his Cubist paintings, he designed at least four other posters published for the "Republic of Irak, Summer Resorts and Tourism Service" in Baghdad. Each features multiple languages and depicts sites for visitors to see in the city and around the country. This rare image, a fifth poster by the artist, is previously unrecorded and does not appear in the Qatar National Library database. This row of modernist buildings is in Tahrir Square, in the Bab Al-Sharqi neighborhood. This area of central Baghdad is located on the east bank of the Tigris River, right at the Al Jumariyah (Republic) Bridge. While the 1960s brought some significant cultural and economic growth in the establishment of theaters, hospitals, libraries, and a stadium, Iraq suffered from waves of political upheaval and war between moments of stability. In the decades that followed, sadly, this market was the site of many tragedies, including routine bombing attacks.

P. merinov (dates unknown)
THE TRANSSIBERIAN EXPRESS / INTOURIST, MOSCOW. 1930.

39¼x27¾ inches, 99½x70½ cm. People’s Commissariat of Trade of the USSR & RSFSR, Moscow.

Rather ironically, the "State Joint Stock Company for Foreign Tourists," (Intourist, the Soviet State Travel agency) was formed in April 1929, just six months prior to the stock market crash that plunged the Western world into the Great Depression. "As Socialist Realism was gradually taking over and the era of the avant-garde was coming to an end, there were no official guidelines on the Intourist style, and in the first two or three years it was still up to the artists and the Committee to decide how to address the discriminating Western audience" (Intourist p. 17). "The impulse of the avant-garde . . . is still evident in the early publications of Intourist artists, who struggled to identify a vivid and contemporary visual language appropriate for export without being too inappropriate for the country it was imported from. The influence of Rodchenko and Constructivist stylistic devices is evident [in some early Intourist posters], while Lissitsky appears again in the image of the 'Trans-Siberian Express' . . . [these] early posters created an adventurous and attractive reality, overall charged with energy and enthusiasm" (Intourist p. 18).

The Trans-Siberian railway cut the travel time between Europe and the Far East by more than half. A trip that would take as long as 36 days by steamship could be accomplished in 12 days by rail. Rare. Intourist pl. 2.

Sergey igumnov (1900-1942)
SOVIET ARMENIA. 1935.

34¾x24 inches, 88¼x61 cm. Intourist, [USSR.]

Intourist rightfully understood that the prevailing European artistic trend of Art Deco design would be more appealing to potential tourists than Social Realism. "The image of Soviet Armenia communicated here is a glamorous and varied one. The train and the car in the foreground boast the advanced modern machinery of the period, and the high railway bridge is an example of Soviet engineering skills. The beauty of the country's natural landscape is shown in the background. The poster creates an image of glamorous tourism and is similar to travel posters produced in Western Europe at the time" (Victoria & Albert Museum). This is the English version. Intourist pl. 29 (var), Tourism p. 113, Crouse p. 303 (var), Affiches Art Deco p. 111.

Maria aleksandrovna nesterova-berzina (1897-1965)
BATUMI / USSR. Circa 1935.

38¼x24 inches, 97x61 cm.

One of several posters designed by the artist promoting travel around the USSR. Batumi is a Black Sea coastal town in Georgia. Renowned for a number of features, it most likely was advertised in a poster due to the fact that Joseph Stalin lived and worked in the city in the early years of the 20th century. This is the English language version. Not in Intourist.

Georges eremine (yuri eremin, 1881-1948)
CAUCASUS / INTOURIST / MOSCOW HOTEL METROPOLE. Circa 1930s.

27½x18½ inches, 69¾x47 cm. The 7th Mospoligraph’s Printing Office, Moscow.

Eremine traveled extensively throughout Europe studying art, eventually becoming an accomplished and acclaimed pictorialist photographer. He opened a Secessionist photography studio in Moscow in the years following the First World War, worked for press agencies, had his work published in magazines, and began teaching at several Russian institutions. This is one in an unusual series of photographic travel posters depicting regions of the Soviet Union and also mentioning the Hotel Metropole, a lavish and grand establishment that opened again to foreign visitors in the early 1930s. Not in Intourist.

Georges eremine (yuri eremin, 1881-1948)
MOSCOW / INTOURIST / MOSCOW HOTEL METROPOLE. Circa 1930s.

27½x18½ inches, 69¾x47 cm. The 7th Mospoligraph’s Printing Office, Moscow.

Taken from Eremine’s 1928 photograph, “The Bolshoi Theatre, Grand Opera of Moscow.” This view can practically be seen from the windows of the Hotel Metropole in downtown Moscow. In the mid-1930s, Stalin’s preferred art form, Socialist Realism, began to take hold, and pictorialism fell sharply out of fashion within the Soviet Union, being labeled “bourgeois” and “ill-timed.” Not in Intourist.

Zdenek rykr (1900-1940)
CZECHO - SLOVAKIA / ROMANTIC CASTLES / CZECHOSLOVAK RAILWAYS. 1937.

26¼x19½ inches, 66½x49½ cm.

Largely a self-taught artist, Rykr was a set designer at the National Theatre in Prague, as well as an illustrator, painter, journalist and graphic designer. He is best remembered for his package designs for Orion, a Czech chocolate company, and corporate designs for Palaba, Bata and Skoda. In the late 1930s he designed a series of Czech travel posters, which were printed in various languages. For this image, he depicts the gothic castle of Karlstejn, built between 1348 and 1365 when it served as a repository for the crown jewels of Bohemia. This is the English version. Rykr 288 (var).

Atelier b & r [josef burjanek, 1913-1992 & jiri jelinek (remo), 1901-1941]
CASTLES IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Circa 1947.

33x22¾ inches, 84x57½ cm. Dolezal, Cerveny Kostelec.

Featuring images of Karstejn, Orava Castle (Slovakia), Spis (Slovakia) and Rabi Castle - curiously the two photographic images were likely taken from previous posters designed for the Czech railway before World War II. This poster was printed during the brief time after the Second World War and before February 25, 1948, when Czechoslovakia fell to a Communist coup, bringing with it a government that lasted for more than 40 years. This is the English version.

Atelier b & r [josef burjanek, 1913-1992 & jiri jelinek (remo), 1901-1941]
PRAGUE / CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Circa 1948.

33½x22½ inches, 84x57¼ cm. Svoboda, Prague.

A Bohemian, mid-century masterpiece of design depicting historical and architectural landmarks in Prague’s Old Town and a sweeping curve of the Vltava River, with five of her prominent crossings. From bottom to top: the Manes Bridge, Charles Bridge, Jirasek Bridge, Palasky Bridge and the Vysehrad Railway Bridge. This is the English version.

Designer unknown
CSD / CZECHOSLOVAK RAILWAYS. Circa 1948.

32½x22¾ inches, 82½x57¾ cm. M. Schulz-Svoboda, Prague.

A rare, previously-unrecorded poster for the Czechoslovak Railway. The nearly monochromatic image depicts a stylized train cutting a sharp diagonal across a route map of the European continent, with the train’s plume of smoke emerging in the shape of a wing.

Maur & co.
STRANDUL KISELEFF. Circa 1930.

37x25 inches, 94x63½ cm. Eminescu, Bucharest.

In the late 1920s, two prominent outdoor sports complexes with pools - Lido and Kiseleff - were constructed in Romania’s capital city, dominating Bucharest’s summer scene. Kiseleff was designed by the great Romanian Modernist architect, Marcel Jancu. This rare Art Deco image is a bright and stylized advertisement for the new location.

Friedel dzubas (1915-1994)
DEUTSCHLAND IM SCHWARZWALD. Circa 1935.

39¼x24¼ inches, 99½x61½ cm.

Dzubas is best known for his abstract paintings done in New York in the 1950s (he shared a studio there with Helen Frankenthaler). Prior to fleeing Germany in 1939, the artist was more closely associated with the posters he designed promoting travel within his native country. This is the German version. Intourist p. 21.

Kees van der laan (1903-1983)
YPENBURG / VLIEGVELD / RIJSWIJK. 1936.

38½x24½ inches, 98x62¼ cm. Kuhn & Zoon, Rotterdam.

Van der Laan spent three formative years in Paris, 1924-1927, a time when French Art Deco was flourishing. His Art Deco sensibilities were further reinforced when, back in Holland, he encountered Cassandre’s work for Dutch clients. Van der Laan’s posters reflect his versatility with the airbrush and an affinity for transportation in the Machine Age. This poster was issued upon the opening of the Ypenburg Airport in 1936. The airfield is delineated by the enormous shadow of an aircraft flying overhead. The poster also depicts the Functionalist style terminal, designed by Brinkman & Van der Vlugt who, among other projects, also designed the Van Nelle factory. The terminal had a restaurant, a roof terrace and a grandstand from which visitors could watch the activities of the NSL (the National Aviation School). Rare.

Designer unknown
PALERMO - MONREALE / TRAMVIA ELETTRICA FUNICOLARE. 1900.

38½x26¾ inches, 97¾x68 cm. Wild & Co., Milan.

In 1900, an electric funicular railway operated by the Societa Sicula Tramways Omnibus was opened. It connected Palermo to Monreale, able to climb the 184 meters between the Piazza Bologni in Palermo and the terminus in Rocca di Monreale. It ran until 1946. Visible here is the stunning elevated view in Monreale, the Benedictine Cloisters connected to the Monreale cathedral and a vista of the port of Palermo with the imposing Mount Pellegrino behind it.

Elio ximenes (1855-1926)
LAGO DI GARDA. Circa 1905.

38¼x26½ inches, 97x67¼ cm. S.A.I.G.A., Milan.

Ximenes designed a number of travel posters, primarily featuring the Italian Lakes (Como, Garda and Maggiore), but also some depicting scenes from Monaco and Monte Carlo. His posters are notable for his treatment of light and colors and their overall painterly qualities. Italia 61, Bolaffi p. 231, not in Travel Italia.

Luigi emilio caldanzano (1880-1928)
NERVI / PAESE DEL SOLE. Circa 1925.

38¾x27 inches, 98½x68½ cm. Officine Grafiche I.G.A.P., Genova.

An illustrator, etcher and graphic designer, Caldanzano created sheet music, magazine covers, movie posters and more. Throughout his career, he worked for the most renowned Italian printing houses, including Ricordi, Barabino & Graeve, and ultimately for I.G.A.P. Nervi is a coastal town in Liguria, in the commune of Genoa, formerly a fishing village. Pictured behind lush and exotic foliage is the 16th century Gropallo Tower and the Garibaldi promenade. Rare. Not in Italia, not in Travel Italia.

Vittorio grassi (1878-1955)
TAORMINA. 1933.

39x24 inches, 99x61 cm. I.G.A.P., Rome.

Grassi was a “self-taught painter. . . active in the field of illustration and stained glass, he also decorated a part of the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. In advertising posters, he distinguished himself with representations of landscapes and cars, with an unmistakable graphic cut and richness of chromatic contrast” (Bolaffi p. 106). Here, he presents the large, ancient Greek amphitheater located in the Sicilian commune of Taormina, above the Ionian sea, with a view of Mount Etna in the distance. Travel Italia p. 138.

Adolphe mouron cassandre (1901-1968)
VENEZIA. 1951.

39½x25 inches, 100½x63½ cm. Calcografia & Cartevalori, Milan.

In a style consistent with the stage designs from later in his career, Cassandre depicts a tranquil vista on a Venetian canal. Considered to be “his best tourist poster . . . the profile of the gondolier whose image is reflected in the water is harmoniously poetic. The image is vertically separated in two - on the right, a palace in the shade, and on the left, a luminous twilight. It is exquisite” (Cassandre / Weill p. 220). In 1954, this image was reissued with additional text at the bottom to promote a Graphic Industries conference in Venice. Mouron pl. 68 (var), Cassandre / Weill p. 222, Suntory 65, Travel Italia p. 63.

Amleto fiore (1920-2008)
BY THE SUPER ELECTRIC TRAIN “MN” / ITALIAN STATE RAILWAYS. Circa 1960.

38¼x26¼ inches, 97x66½ cm. Garzanti Editore, Rome.

The chic and glamorous ETR-250 Arlecchino, one in a series of electric trains operating in Italy since the mid-1930s, took its maiden journey on July 23, 1960, a month before the Olympic Games were held in Rome. The sleek, streamlined and modern exterior is shown here, as are photographic vignettes of the creature comforts offered inside. Little is known about this artist who primarily worked in the years after the Second World War. This is the English version. Bolaffi p. 92.

Louis tauzin (1867-1914)
LES VOSGES / CHEMINS DE FER DE L’EST. 1912.

41¼x30¼ inches, 104¾x77 cm. F. Champenois, Paris.

The Vosges mountains were never as popular as the Alps for winter sports; while they had plenty of snow, they weren’t as high and didn’t offer as challenging terrain for experienced skiers. However, the area was an ideal destination for families and vacationers who wanted the outdoor winter experience but didn’t fancy themselves as professional athletes. Tauzin depicts just such a scene, where families and couples enjoy sledding, skating and skiing. As with his other travel posters, the treatment of light and shadows is very delicately and elegantly handled, with the suggestion of sunset just beginning to kiss the trees and fill the sky. This poster exists with several text variations, including one from the following year, 1913, promoting the 7th International Skiing Competition. Train p. 66 (var), Sports d’Hiver p. 42, Art of Skiing p. 58.

Roger broders (1883-1953)
LA ROUTE DES ALPES. Circa 1920.

42x30½ inches, 106¾x77½ cm.

In this, one of his earliest travel posters, Broders masterfully employs his signature use of depth of field, with the vegetation and people in the foreground and the route from Nice to Geneva in the background. His depiction of the people touring the Alps by motor coach is straightforward and illustrative, bearing none of the Art Deco stylization that became his hallmark in his works from later in the decade. Broders p. 66, Perry / Broders p. 57, Hillion p. 252.

Roger broders (1883-1953)
GROTTES DE LA BALME (ISÈRE). Circa 1928.

41¾x30¼ inches, 106x76¾ cm. Marilhet & Vincent, Paris.

Promoting side trips to the extraordinary geologic site situated close to Lyon, Broders depicts a small group of people exploring the impressive caves. The well-dressed tourists are tiny next to the monumental stalagmites and beneath the stalactites of this natural wonder. Curiously, it is one of only two posters Broders designed for this printing firm. Broders p. 62B, Perry / Broders p. 49, Chemins de Fer 109.

Roger broders (1883-1953)
SAINT - ETIENNE / VILLAGE DE CORNILLON. 1929.

39½x24½ inches, 100½x62¼ cm.

The Chateau de Cornillon, the ruins of a 12th century castle, sits atop an outcropping of rocks, overlooking the Loire River in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It could be reached by motor cars from Saint-Etienne. Part of the nine-arched, viaduct train bridge can be seen in the background. Broders p. 57, Perry / Broders p. 50.

Roger broders (1883-1953)
ANTIBES. Circa 1928.

41½x29¾ inches, 105½x75½ cm. Lucien Serre & Cie., Paris.

This image, evoking the stylish, languid reminiscences of an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, is an uncanny example of art imitating life, imitating art. Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, stayed in this Riviera town in 1926, and it was during his time there that he began writing his novel Tender is the Night. The stylistic rendering of the main figures is too sophisticated to have been early in Broders’ career. A visual chronology of Broders’ works shows that he began to master the use of diffident characters with elongated bodies in 1928. Broders p. 91, Riviera 60, La Mer p. 116, Azur 144, Perry / Broders p. 27, Furness vol. 8 p. 97, Cote d’Azur p. 38.

Roger broders (1883-1953)
SAINTE - MAXIME. 1929.

39x24¼ inches, 99x61½ cm. Lucien Serre & Cie, Paris.

It is with this image that Broders formally turned toward geometric compositions, fully embracing flat planes of color and stylized landscapes. One of his most popular posters during his lifetime, it was widely used by several different organizations. Originally issued in 1928, the PLM railroad used this version in 1929, printed in a slightly smaller format. The S.N.C.F. used it as a poster in the mid-1930s, and the Saint-Maxime tourist office also employed it as a promotional image. Broders p. 85A and 85B (var), Perry / Broders p. 33, Reclame 96, Riviera 40, Voyage p. 39, Golden Age 136.

Roger broders (1883-1953)
L’ÉTÉ SUR LA CÔTE D’AZUR. 1930.

39x24 inches, 99x61 cm. Vaugirard, Paris.

Broders employs many of his signature elements in this classic Art Deco image; the curve of the bay, stylized people populating the beach, the geometric presentation of the bright, round umbrellas and the angularity of the depicted buildings. This is the French version. The English version reads, “Summer on the French Riviera / Eternal Sunshine.” Broders p. 92, Perry / Broders p. 23, Riviera 61, Azur 145.

Roger broders (1883-1953)
SUR LA COTE D’AZUR. Circa 1931.

39½x24½ inches, 100½x62¼ cm. Lucien Serre, Paris.

More than just the joyful expression of an enthusiastic young woman greeting the day and embracing the climate on the Cote d'Azur, this poster has been cited as a classic example of shifting social mores, as well as a shift in the design of travel posters themselves. Here, the traditional "aristocratic or upper middle-class woman in a long crinoline dress who is carrying an umbrella in hand to protect herself from the sun [who was depicted in many turn-of-the-century travel posters], gives way to a young, buxom sun worshiper" (Azur p. 19). In 1933, this image was used by the PLM on the cover of a travel brochure (see www.travelbrochuregraphics.com). Broders p. 90, Perry / Broders p. 29, Le Train p. 102, Azur cover & 11, Golden Age p. 109.

Jean gabriel domergue (1889-1962)
L’HIVER Á MONTE - CARLO. 1937.

38¼x24½ inches, 97¼x62¼ cm. Lucien Serre & Cie., Paris.

Domergue dedicated his working life to the elegant quotidian worlds of French society. Dividing his time between Paris, Deauville and the Riviera, he designed works for performers and fashion balls. This is one of a seasonal pair of images promoting the chic, Monaco destination that "sought to conjure up reverie, magic, luxury . . . with their slender, elegant ladies and graceful compositions (Azur p. 184). His L'Été á Monte-Carlo poster depicts two bathing beauties with the caption, "The most beautiful women in the world." Here, a lithe and fashionable couple promenade by the Monte-Carlo Bay on their way "to a gala evening on a night when the stars merge with the lights of the city and their reflections in the sea" (ibid). The text, which doesn't appear on all the variations of this poster, almost unnecessarily explains that the chic people winter down on the Cote d'Azur. In other words, Europe's rich and famous don't only spend their summers on the Riviera, they also spend their winters there. Azur 211, Riviera 101.

Maurice lauro (1878-?)
TROUVILLE. 1928.

41½x29½ inches, 105½x75 cm. Devambez, Paris.

An engaging Art Deco rendition of a bustling, fashionable day on Trouville’s boardwalk, filled with style, beauty, glamour, color and patterns to the point that it “seems to encapsulate the essence of bright young thingery” (Hillier, p. 148). Executed in the manner of the fashionable Art Deco magazines of the era (Lauro was a magazine illustrator who specialized in fashion), this graceful, joyful and elegant celebration of the happy-go-lucky Roaring Twenties speaks to Lauro’s mastery of his craft. Trouville / Deauville p. 63, Hillier p. 148 (var), Affiches Art Deco p. 103.

Pierre fix-masseau (1905-1994)
EXACTITUDE. 1932.

39½x24½ inches, 100½x62¼ cm. Edita, Paris.

In one of the classic railroad images to emerge from the Art Deco era, Fix-Masseau uses the triangle of the station roof, the circle and rectangle at the front of the train and the squares on the platform to create a powerful geometric image. Most often compared to Cassandre’s Nord Express in its use of perspective, Fix-Masseau captures an entirely different element of train travel than is featured in Cassandre’s romanticized image - punctuality. Using warm colors and a prominent display of the station clock as the train pulls in, the artist emphasizes his message - written across the top of the poster in a typeface that is as streamlined as the design of the train itself. Modern Poster 171, Weill 382, Art Deco p. 63, Affiche Art Deco p. 63, Crouse p. 259, Metzl p. 132, Affiches Art Deco p. 85.

Adolphe mouron cassandre (1901-1968)
ÉTOILE DU NORD. 1927.

41½x29½ inches, 105½x75 cm. Hachard & Cie., Paris.

L'Étoile du Nord was an absolute revolution in advertising when it first appeared in 1927. Although advertising a Pullman train, it was startlingly new to have a travel poster that depicted no landscape, no destination, and no train. The pure and powerful image is a tribute to the dramatic use of perspective, with the train represented metaphorically by the star dancing on the horizon where many rails converge in the distance. To keep the image as clean and unobstructed as possible, Cassandre corrals the typography at the very bottom of the composition and then organizes it in a neat and structured frame around the border. Here, he also develops one of his signature design elements: viewing an object from a low angle to make it seem larger than life and more impressive, a technique he perfected in his 1935 poster for the Normandie. Through his association with Maurice Moyrand, who was the agent for the printer L. Danel, (and with whom he would form the Alliance Graphique in 1930), Cassandre was commissioned to create two posters for the Chemins de fer du Nord in 1927.

Mouron pl. 11, Cassandre / Weill 51, The Poster 185, Suntory 48, Reina Sofia p. 161, Modern Poster p. 151, Avant Garde p. 158, Muller-Brockmann 70, Weill 339, Art Deco Graphiques 5, MoMA 242.1987.

J. costa magna (dates unknown)
MONTE - CARLO GOLF CLUB / PAN AMERICAN ROMAN HOLIDAY TROPHY. Circa 1960s.

47x30¼ inches, 119½x77 cm. Monégasque, Monte Carlo.

A Pan Am jet soars over Monte Carlo, framed by a column with a bag of clubs leaning against it. Pan Am sponsored many different tournaments across the sporting world as means of promoting their own brand, including sumo wrestling, fishing and golf. No history is left of this specific tournament other than this poster boasting a magnificent view of the bay from the golf club, high in the hills above the city and the bay.

Francois vernier (dates unknown)
PARIS / AIR FRANCE. 1961.

38x23¼ inches, 96½x59 cm.

A charming and colorful view of the bridges connecting Paris’ Ile de la Cité and Ile Saint-Louis to the city’s Left Bank: the Pont Neuf, Pont Saint-Michel, Petit-Pont, Pont au Double, Pont de la Tournelle and the distant Pont de Sully.

Designer unknown
TO THE LAND O’ THE HEATHER / CANADIAN PACIFIC STEAMSHIPS. 1924.

35¼x23½ inches, 89½x59¾ cm.

A shepherd and his collie watch over a flock of sheep grazing in the rolling, heather-filled moors of Scotland. In the distance, a Canadian Pacific steamer makes its way down the Clyde River heading from Glasgow on to Liverpool and then to cross the Atlantic. Rare. Not in Canadian Pacific.

Frank newbould (1887-1951)
BERLIN VIA HARWICH. 1925.

39½x49 inches, 100½x124½ cm. Chorley & Pickersgill Ltd., Leeds.

Frank Newbould did extensive work for the London & North Eastern Railway, as well as the Great Western Railway, The Orient Line and the Belgian Railways. In 1926, he was one of five artists contracted to work exclusively for the LNER; the others were Tom Purvis, Austin Cooper, Frank Mason and Fred Taylor. The contract lasted for three years. Adept at depicting both architecture and people, Newbould composed his colorful posters with a strong graphic eye. He designed several posters promoting travel to the continent, including images for Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Nuremberg and The Belgian Coast. Here, he captures a wonderful snippet of Berlin street life, in which elegant couples stroll down the boulevard, gentlemen enjoy the cafes, and automobiles and distinguished buildings line the avenue. Running through the center of Berlin, “Unter den Linden” was one of the grandest streets in Germany. Its name (“Under the Lindens”) is derived from the distinctive trees that lined it. Rare. We have not found another copy at auction in 25 years. Voyage p. 143, Furness 8, p. 100.

Tom purvis (1888-1959)
CRUDEN BAY. Circa 1925.

39x49½ inches, 99x125¾ cm. The Dangerfield Printing Co., London.

Purvis’ posters for the LNER run the gamut from traditional landscapes to people engaged in various activities. In the style of the Beggarstaff Brothers, “he formed his figures solely from masses of color, without outline” (Weill p. 228). His use of “flat primary colors and the elimination of detail” (Railway p. 135) was his graphic calling-card for which he was most emulated. This is one of two horizontal format golf posters Purvis designed for this Scottish golf destination. Rare. Furness Vol. 1, p. 189.

Austin cooper (1890-1964)
UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE BRITISH ISLES / EMPIRE PRODUCE. 1928.

40x60 inches, 101½x152½ cm. John Horn Limited, London.

Austin Cooper was a stylistic virtuoso and a prolific artist, whose first commercial venture was a graphic design studio in his native Canada. His highly-pictorial, Art Deco style received widespread public acclaim and he quickly found work with many of Britain’s most important poster-commissioning companies, such as the London Underground, the LNER and the Empire Marketing Board. B.O.3. Issued by the Empire Marketing Board.

Laura knight (1877-1970)
THE YORKSHIRE COAST. 1929.

39½x49¼ inches, 100¼x125 cm. John Waddington Ltd., London.

Laura Knight was a pioneering female artist and a practitioner of British Impressionism, among other styles. Knight painted an image of herself painting a nude in 1913, was made a “Dame” in 1929 and became the first woman elected to the Royal Academy in 1936. From humble origins, she focused much of her art on disenfranchised groups, such as gypsies and performers. She designed seven posters for London Transport and this stand-out design for the LNER featuring girls playing catch on a Yorkshire beach. Rare. Railway p. 135, Voyage p. 85, Tourism 50, Furness vol. 2, p. 109, Posters & Publicity 1929 p. 54.

Michael reilly (1898-?)
STRATFORD - UPON - AVON.

39x49¼ inches, 99x125 cm. J. Weiner Ltd., London.

Michael Reilly studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Birmingham in the 1920s. Little is known of his life, though he spent most of it living and working in the West Midlands. As a commercial artist, he received commissions from several railway companies, including the Great Western Railway, Southern Railway, and the London Underground, some of which are in the collection of the National Railway Museum in York. This rare poster advertises a town well-known to any Shakespeare aficionado - the Bard’s birthplace of Stratford-Upon-Avon. This quaint and idyllic street scene, with fashionable strolling figures, also includes an interesting detail - there is a prominently displayed American flag billowing overhead. This flag marks Harvard House, built in 1596 by John Harvard’s grandfather (Thomas Rogers), and owned by Harvard University since the early 20th century. A keen observer will recognize the University’s crest over the door. Ownership of the property reverted to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1990.

Tom purvis (1888-1959)
EAST COAST JOYS / TRAVEL BY L.N.E.R. Set of 6 posters. 1931.

Each approximately 40x25 inches, 101½x63½ cm. Haycock Press, London.

Purvis' work for the British Railroads was exclusively for the LNER. Many of his posters for the railway promoted travel to the East Coast, depicting swimmers, sailors, beaches, beachgoers, children and hikers. This was the first of two series he designed, the other circa 1936, which presented six individual images that could be used on their own or as a set. When viewed side by side they form a continuous, panoramic strip of coastline. This effect is one Purvis borrowed from the Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock print artists, specifically Utagawa Sadahide, "whose work was commonly constructed from multiple separate sheets" (Purvis p. 76).

"Purvis is an artist of unusual versatility and technical range. He designs posters which are simplified patterns . . . bold impressions in which solid shadows only are left to 'tell the story' ; he works in 'woodcut' technique . . . In all his work there is personality, knowledge and vigor (Commercial Art, 1927, p. 151). This is a rare graphic masterwork; we could locate only one other full set ever having appeared at auction. Purvis pp. 76-7, Voyage p. 40-41, Gebrauchsgraphik, June 1931, pp. 44-45, Modern Publicity, May 1931, p. 212.

Margery johnson (dates unknown)
THE CONTINENT / SOUTHERN RAILWAY. 1936.

39x24¼ inches, 99x61½ cm. McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London.

A rare poster promoting day trips on the Southern Railway from Victoria to destinations in France and Belgium. A panoply of images, from the French currency and flag, to the Eiffel Tower, a chef, a baguette and champagne, the Pont du Gard, a woman weaving lace and more - each encompasses the sights and experiences to be had. The poster notes that no passport is needed and advertises the bonus of free meals.

Designer unknown
CONTINENTAL GUIDES / SOUTHERN RAILWAY. 1936.

39¼x24¼ inches, 99½x61¼ cm. McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., London.

A novel approach to advertising travel in which the destinations are promoted via railway brochures touting getaways. In this manner, the Southern Railway can highlight three separate Continental areas via guidebooks that are themselves like mini posters. We were able to date this poster by tracking down the actual guidebooks, each of which had the same cover illustrations as depicted here.

Alfred reginald thomson (1895-1979)
LNER / TAKE ME BY THE FLYING SCOTSMAN. Circa 1936.

39½x24½ inches, 100¼x61 cm. S.C. Allen & Company Ltd., London.

In 1936, the Southern Railway came up with a photographically-inspired poster of a young boy on a train platform talking to the driver of the train far above the platform in the cab of the locomotive. That endearing image was printed in different languages and quickly became ubiquitous, entering the national visual vocabulary of Great Britain. In this unofficial Art Deco spin-off, Thomson presents the locomotive in a manner much more in keeping with the designs of A.M. Cassandre. In a humorous twist, the driver needs to speak to the tiny child far below on the platform using a megaphone. Railway p. 145, Crouse p. 250.

Laszlo moholy-nagy (1895-1946)
IMPERIAL AIRWAYS / MAP OF EMPIRE & EUROPEAN AIR ROUTES. 1936.

25x39½ inches, 63½x100½ cm. Curwen Press, London.

Moholy-Nagy left Germany in 1935 and spent two years in London before settling in Chicago. In London, he found employment doing artwork for a men's clothing store and producing publicity material for Imperial Airways. He is credited with designing both a brochure and this poster map for the airline in 1936, each of which was unsigned. This world map is Moholy-Nagy's tribute to Henry Beck's recently designed and published London Tube Map (1933). "The Tube Map imports the aesthetics of Eastern and Middle European avant-gardes, including Constructivism and the Bauhaus . . . In this context, Moholy-Nagy designed a world network map for the Imperial Airways airline that transferred Beck's topological aesthetics to the connections of world air traffic while juxtaposing a diagram and a map view" (Amodern.net). Rare. Albers & Moholy-Nagy 58.

Patrick cokayne keely (?-1970)
SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS / SOUTHERN RAILWAY. 1947.

39x24½ inches, 99x62¼ cm. McCorquodale, London.

Pat Keely established himself as a prominent graphic designer in the years before the Second World War, known for his strong, stylized Art Deco aesthetic (which he used most notably in his posters for the Southern Railway). During World War II, he was one of the artists chosen to participate in the workplace safety series commissioned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. To promote the shipping facilities in Southampton, this masterful, modernist image of a ship and a derrick eschews outlining and uses bold geometric shapes.

Kerry lee (1902-1988)
CAMBRIDGE. 1948.

22¾x28½ inches, 57¾x72¼ cm. Chromoworks, Ltd., [London.]

Lee was an illustrator and artist but is best known for his pictorial maps. It was a specialty that was reflected in the name of the company he founded in the years following the Second World War: “Pictorial Maps.” Not in Furness.

Carl saltzmann (1847-1923)
RED STAR LINE / VON ANTWERPEN NACH NEW YORK & PHILADELPHIA. Circa 1893.

39x27½ inches, 99x69¾ cm. Klingenberg, Detmold.

A very early ocean liner poster for the Red Star Line, featuring the Westernland. Built in 1883, the ship was the company's first with a steel hull, first with two funnels and first with three different classes of passenger accommodation. From 1883-1901, it sailed the route between Antwerp and Philadelphia, seen here sailing into New York, past the Statue of Liberty (officially opened in October 1886) and heading towards the Brooklyn Bridge (opened in May 1883). Passenger Ships 17.

Hubert herkomer (1881-?)
“PARIS, ALL THE WAY” TO EUROPE / FRENCH LINE C.G.T. 1914.

40x25 inches, 101½x63½ cm. [Hill, Sifken & Co., London].

Herkomer completed at least one other poster for the French Line, a majestic nighttime scene of the Normandie (See Swann sale 2524, Lot 71). That piece, completed 25 years after this design, features a more modern composition, with the monumental ship breaking through the frame of the poster and a dramatic limited palette. This poster features a less stylized ship but is creative in the backdrop of floating French landmarks, and the night skyline of Paris bordering the title below.

Designer unknown
WHITE STAR LINE / TYPES OF WORLD FAMOUS LINERS. Circa 1927.

39¾x25¼ inches, 101x64 cm. The Liverpool Printing & Stationery Company, Limited, Liverpool.

A montage of ships servicing the White Star Line, presented within and around a white star itself. On display are vessels with one, two, three and four funnels, an indication of the breadth of their fleet. As far as identifying each ship - in the center is the Majestic, the four-stacker at the bottom is the Olympic, moving clockwise from the bottom is the one-stack Megantic, then one of the Big Four (Celtic, Cedric, Baltic, Adriatic). The Arabic III is on the top right, and finally, on the lower right, is the Albertic. There has been a lot of confusion as to the date of this poster, but as the Albertic only joined the White Star Fleet in 1927, the poster must have been produced after that year.

Otto & p. leroi (dates unknown)
NACH WEST - INDIEN AB NEW YORK / NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD BREMEN. Circa 1925.

36½x24 inches, 92¾x61 cm.

A bold, stylized image of an American Indian Chief clad in a war bonnet, wrapped in a ceremonial blanket and holding a peace pipe. The mannerist Art Deco style is as captivating as the geo-anthropological theme is wrong. Rather than advertising a cruise to the New World, the poster is in fact promoting cruises from New York to the West Indies. Likely, the German artist took liberties with the word “Indies.” Vacationers who signed up for this cruise with the hope of seeing an Indian chief in the Caribbean would have been very disappointed.

R. dévignes (dates unknown)
WASHINGTON MANHATTAN / UNITED STATES LINES. Circa 1930s.

38¼x24¼ inches, 97x61½ cm. [L.Delaporte, Paris.]

Named after prominent American cities, the sister ships Manhattan and Washington served the United States Lines. They were built in Camden, New Jersey and launched in 1932 and 1933 respectively. Here, Manhattan's impressive skyscrapers, bathed in the shadows of sunset, appear small in comparison to the liner gracefully steaming out of New York Harbor. This is the German version. Weallans p. 142.

Walter thomas (1894-1971)
WHITE STAR WINTER CRUISES / EGYPT AND THE HOLY LAND. Circa 1930s.

40¼x25 inches, 102¼x63½ cm. The Liverpool Printing and Stationery Co., Limited, Liverpool.

Walter Thomas designed posters for several shipping companies including Cunard, White Star, Lamport & Holt and the British Navy. Here, he forgoes showing any vessel and focuses instead on a man wearing a Nemes (the striped head cloth worn by pharaohs, with the traditional lappets - (the flaps that hung down in front of the shoulders) and Wesekh (the broad neck piece). Since the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the Western world was captivated by the wonders of ancient Egypt, and Thomas plays to that infatuation with this image.

Theodor etbauer (1892-1975)
NACH NEW YORK / HAMBURG - AMERIKA LINIE. Circa 1932.

32¼x22¾ inches, 82x58 cm.

Etbauer worked extensively for the Hamburg Amerika Line. Here, he follows a visual trend set by A.M. Cassandre, who boldly featured funnels in his posters for the United States Lines (1928), the Statendam (1929) and the S.S. Cote d’Azur (1931). A variant of this poster, with a blue background, features the American flag behind the funnels. Weallans p. 104, MoMA 124.2003.

Harry hudson rodmell (1896-1984)
FISHGUARD - CORK / THE “INNISFALLEN” WAY. Circa 1935.

31¼x25 inches, 79½x63½ cm.

Rodmell enrolled in the Hull School of Art in 1912, and that same year, designed his first magazine cover. More than just a maritime artist, he was also a very active commercial designer. In addition to his paintings, his artistic legacy is filled with magazine covers, posters, calendars and tide tables. "His work for the ocean liner industry was prodigious and his images graced the posters of more than sixty-five companies" (Rodmell p. 20). These included Canadian Pacific, French Line, Swedish Lloyd, Shaw-Saville and Albion Line, General Steam Navigation Co., Royal Holland Lloyd, and Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen. The Innisfallen was built in Belfast by the Coast Lines Group in 1930 and ran frequent routes between Cork and Fishguard in Wales, as well as offering weekend tours. It was sunk by a German mine in 1940.

Munetsugu satomi (1904-1996)
TRAVEL NYK / WORLD - WIDE PASSENGER SERVICE. 1935.

35¼x24¼ inches, 89½x61½ cm. Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd., Japan.

Japanese-born Satomi moved to Paris in 1922, where he studied at the École des Beaux Arts. For a short period of time, he worked as an assistant to Cassandre in his studio. This experience, combined with his own strong sense of design, helped him gain commissions in both France and Japan. Here, he depicts the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line's Chichibu Maru, which had its maiden voyage in 1930 and primarily made the crossing between Yokohama and San Francisco. Commandeered by the Japanese government during the war, the vessel was sunk while serving as a troopship in 1943. Its speed and direction are suggested by the arrow enveloping it. One of Satomi's rarest posters, we have not found another copy at auction in the last 10 years. Weallans p. 144.

Daphne padden (1925-2009)
ROYAL MAIL / “ATLANTIS” SUNSHINE CRUISES. Circa 1936.

39¾x24¾ inches, 101x62¾ cm. The Baynard Press, London.

The Royal Mail Line, despite its name, which implies merely a cargo service for postage, is an old and prestigious company. Founded in 1839 as the RMSP (Royal Mail Steam Packet), the company became the largest shipping group in the world in 1927 when they purchased the White Star Line.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
TO THE FAR EAST / CANADIAN PACIFIC / WHITE EMPRESS ROUTE. 1936.

39½x25 inches, 100¼x63½ cm.

“Between 1918 and the outbreak of World War II in September of 1939, Canadian Pacific’s activities achieved a truly worldwide status, through the advent of a steamship cruise service [and] the expansion of services in the Pacific” (Canadian Pacific p. 41). This brightly-colored image juxtaposes a Japanese family adorned in their colorful, traditional garments, with the sharp, clean lines of the Empress of Britain. Canadian Pacific np, Choko p. 97, Poster Progress p. 120.

Montague birrell black (1884-1964)
FRENCH LINE C.G.T / NORMANDIE. Circa 1938.

39¾x25 inches, 101x63½ cm.

Montague Birrell Black was an accomplished ship portraitist and produced many of the paintings, postcards and posters for the White Star Line through the 1920s. He also worked for other transportation companies, like the French Line and Blue Star Line, the London Underground and British Railway. This snapshot of the Normandie sailing out to sea, past a lighthouse, gives a wonderful impression of the monolithic size of the vessel. Seen from a low angle, the ship towers over everything and is in fact, too big to even fit inside the frame of the poster. Weallans p. 151.

Charles e. turner (1883-1965)
CUNARD TO CANADA. Circa 1948.

39¼x24½ inches, 99½x62¼ cm.

The Franconia, Scythia, Samaria and Ascania, all one-funnel liners, were used on the England - Canada routes in the years following the Second World War. Turner designed several posters for the shipping company over the decades and designed a series of propaganda posters during WWII. Turner served in the RAF during the first world war, and some of his earliest posters for the London Underground reflect his aeronautic experience. Weallans p. 177.

Jean rouillé (dates unknown)
A TRAVERS LE MONDE / CHARGEURS RÉUNIS.

38½x24 inches, 97¾x61 cm. Diffusion et Publicité, Paris.

Formed in 1872 to operate a service between Le Havre and Brazil, Compagnie des Chargeurs Réunis began routes to Indochina (a federation of French colonies including modern day Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) in the early 1900s. In the early 1950s, the loss of French Indochina gradually forced the company to end passenger services. Rouillé only designed a small handful of posters; only five have ever appeared on the market. Here, he depicts one of the company’s ships sailing within a glass globe.

Louis macouillard (1913-1987)
AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES. Circa 1950.

40¼x27¾ inches, 102¼x70½ cm.

A San Francisco native, Macouillard was an accomplished artist, having studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Art Students League of New York. He became Art Director of the Velvetone Poster Company in San Francisco and designed two stamps for the United States Postal Service. Primarily a watercolorist, he also did work for the Matson Line, including posters and menu covers.

Raymond ducatez (dates unknown)
COTE OCCIDENTALE D’AFRIQUE PAR MARSEILLE / FRAISSINET & CYPRIEN FABRE. Circa 1955.

38½x24 inches, 97¾x61 cm. Larrieu-Borrel, Paris.

The Compagnie de Navigation Fraissinet et Cyprien Fabre began operating in 1955, the merger of two smaller shipping companies. The General Mangin, Jean Mermoz and the Foch were three of the first ships to be transferred to the new company. This ambitious poster boasts an exotic mermaid and a dynamic map of the line’s routes from Marseille through the Straits of Gibraltar and on to the West Coast of Africa.

G.b. (dates unknown)
S.S. UNITED STATES / FASTEST TO AND FROM ALL EUROPE. Circa 1960.

32x23½ inches, 81½x59¾ cm.

Launched in 1952, the S.S. United States was the most famous ship in the United States Lines fleet. Originally founded during the First World War to operate the ships seized from Germany, the company eventually became a private concern, plying the route between New York and Germany. The S.S. United States was the fastest and largest ship ever built in America. It held the Blue Riband for the transatlantic crossing from its maiden voyage in 1952 through its retirement in 1969. Weallans p. 168.

Designer unknown
COSTA RICA.

27½x19¾ inches, 69¾x50 cm. Litografia Lehmann, Costa Rica.

A leaping Roosterfish in the foreground dwarfs the fishermen behind it in their small boat, off the shore of Costa Rica.

Waldomiro gonsalves christino (dates unknown)
BRAZIL / BRAZILIAN INFORMATION BUREAU.

27x19 inches, 68½x48¼ cm. Ypiranga, Sao Paulo.

One of at least two images the artists designed for the Brazilian information Bureau, each depicting a different view of Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain and Guanabara Bay.

Hans wagula (1894-1964)
AEROPUT JUGOSLAVIJA. Circa 1931.

36¾x23¾ inches, 93¼x60¼ cm. Tipografia D.D., Zagreb.

Founded in 1927, Aeroput was the national airline of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Here, a de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth monoplane flies through a daytime sky, while on the opposite side of the poster a train travels along the same route by night. The message, and the effect, is literally "Earth roads are tiring, air ways are resting." In other words, spend a comfortable day traveling by air, and not an uncomfortable night, or longer, traveling by train. The call numbers on the side of the aircraft UN SAA indicate that it was introduced into the Aeroput fleet in 1931. The small plane could sit three people and was used as an air taxi.

"Hans Wagula gave up painting as a profession about 1924 and devoted himself exclusively to advertising art and to the poster in particular . . . Today [he is] not only the best-known poster artist in the Ostmark, he is also the most notable exponent of that pure and classic German poster style which finds characteristic expression in simplicity, clarity and monumentality of form and which alone does justice to the nature of the work in hand" (Gebrauchsgraphik 1941, vol. 11, p. 7 & 16). "His brilliantly composed landscape-placards are evidence of a carefully considered command of space that becomes almost a law in itself, as also of a special preference for strong, unbroken, yet always delicately intershading colors, whose delightful power of brightness rejoices the beholder's eye without ever offending his harmonious color-sensitivity" (ibid, 1936 vol. 4, p. 3). This is the Serbian version. Crouse p. 25.

Guy arnoux (1890-1951)
AIR FRANCE / AMÉRIQUE DU NORD. 1946.

38½x24¼ inches, 98x61½ cm. Hubert Baille & Cie, Paris.

An optimistic post-war image depicting North America as the proverbial “City in the Clouds.” Note the subtle depiction of the stars and stripes. Air France p. 72.

E. hanna (dates unknown)
TICKETS FOR ALL AIRLINES / HERE AT COOKS. Circa 1950s.

39¼x24½ inches, 99½x61½ cm.

A plane-spotter’s dream poster, in which various aircraft and airlines with their respective liveries are represented in a montage. One in a series of posters produced for Thomas Cook travel agency; others in the series feature shipping lines and railways. The poster dates to the era when commercial airlines were operating both propeller and jet planes. Air Ceylon, represented here by a Super Constellation, stopped flying those aircraft in 1960.

Donald brün (1909-1999)
SWISSAIR. 1949.

39½x24¼ inches, 100¼x61½ cm. Wasserman, Basel.

A prominent and prolific poster artist from Basel, Brün had an ever-changing style. He began his career with images that conformed to Niklaus Stoecklin’s Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity). His style then became more humorous, much in the vein of Herbert Leupin, his prolific counterpart. Here, a stylish and sassy young traveler, with her carrying case bearing an airline tag, is greeted by the pilot of the waiting plane. The Poster 379, Modern Publicity 1950-1951, p. 26.

Joop van heusden (1920-?)
FLY THERE BY KLM / ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES. Circa 1950.

38¾x23 inches, 98½x58½ cm. Kuhn & Zn., Rotterdam.

Van Heusden never formally studied art but did have illustrations published while he attended business school. In 1945, after a stint working with a painter, he found himself employed in the advertising department of K.L.M. In 1948, van Heusden designed a poster that featured a large KLM travel bag being carried by a disembodied arm; it was a much-awarded image within The Netherlands. Playing off that success, this image presents a KLM bag placed amongst other luggage beneath a wall adorned with travel posters. As with a number of his other posters, this image “does not have a selling function in the strict sense of the word, but is primarily intended to support the general brand advertising of KLM abroad;” it is a world-traveler’s dream (Ariadne, November 1, 1948, p. 326).

Leendert spierenburg (1922-1971)
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN / KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES. Circa 1950s.

39½x24¾ inches, 100¼x62¾ cm.

The legend of the “Flying Dutchman,” a ghost ship destined to sail the seas forever without ever making port, and whose sighting is considered a portent of doom, seems a very unlikely model upon which an airline would base their advertising. And yet, KLM used the ancient myth as part of their promotion material for decades. The Dutch airline first flew Lockheed Constellations in 1946, ultimately employing over 25 of the aircraft to service their routes.

Walter bomar (1918-1988)
AMERICAN AIRLINES / JET POWERED ELECTRA FLAGSHIPS. Circa 1959.

40x30½ inches, 101½x77½ cm.

The Electras (Lockheed L-188s) were America’s first turboprop airplanes. They could achieve speeds of almost a hundred miles-per-hour faster than the piston-powered aircraft of the early 1950s. American Airlines began flying the planes in 1959. By the mid-1970s, due to a number of crashes and technical difficulties, most of the Electras had been retired from service. Walter Bomar was a prolific graphic artist, illustrator, poster designer and painter. Huhne p. 133.

Aaron fine (dates unknown)
FLY ‘ROUND SOUTH AMERICA BY JET / VIA PANAGRA AND PAN AMERICAN. Circa 1959.

41¾x27½ inches, 106x69¾ cm.

Fine’s posters for Pan Am in the late 1950s and early 1960s captured the excitement of this burgeoning era and are characterized by their simplistic modernity. In addition to his bright, collage-like design work, Fine was also a children’s book illustrator and a playwright. Andy Warhol, who was a friend, designed the stage sets for Fine’s play, My Blackmailer, which was one of only three plays for which Warhol designed sets. Rare. We could find no other copies at auction.

Harry rogers (1929-2012)
CANADA / QANTAS. Circa 1960s.

19½x14½ inches, 49½x37 cm.

Australian-born Rogers studied art in his native Sydney before moving to California for three years to study animation at UCLA. Returning to Australia as a freelance artist, Rogers’ primary client was Qantas, for whom he designed a number of different poster series between the 1950s and the 1970s. In addition to designing posters for the firm, he was also involved in other aspects of their corporate identity, from brochures to typefaces. This series, one of several designed by Rogers for Qantas appeared as early as the mid-1950s, and the images were reissued in the following years (as seen here) featuring added structures, depicted in outline and with the jets flying from right to left (originally, they traveled from left to right). Modern Publicity 1959-1960, p. 22 (var).

Designer unknown
CHICAGO ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC R.R. / AROUND THE WORLD. Circa 1875.

27½x20½ inches, 70x51 cm.

A rare, early broadside for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. This unusual view of the Northern Hemisphere shows a complete route around the world via train and steam ship. One cannot help but think that this poster was inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, which was published in 1872, as it states on the poster that the duration of an “entire circuit of the globe is about seventy-eight days.”

Designer unknown
C.B. & Q. BURLINGTON ROUTE / FINEST EQUIPPED RAILROAD IN THE WORLD. Circa 1883.

21¼x13¼ inches, 54x33¾ cm. American Banknote Co., New York.

An early, rare broadside for the Burlington Route featuring an inset image of a rail bridge. Although a train is present on the bridge it is curious to note that the image features more river transportation than railroad. The view is possibly that of Burlington’s first bridge across the Mississippi River at Galesburg, IL.

Designer unknown
BURLINGTON ROUTE / PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR THE EAST. Circa 1890.

17½x12¾ inches, 44½x32½ cm.

The Burlington Route (officially known as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad) had routes emanating out from Chicago to “Everywhere West.” As explained here on this rare early broadside, connections from Chicago and Denver could be made to the West Coast and the East Coast.

Designer unknown
THE ZEPHYR / BURLINGTON’S STREAMLINE MOTOR TRAIN. 1934.

36½x22¾ inches, 92¾x58 cm.

The Pioneer Zephyr was the first diesel internal combustion powered streamliner. It was designed by Paul Cret and the architectural firm of Holabird & Root and built by Budd and went into service in 1934. Originally called the Burlington Zephyr, it was given the name Pioneer as other engines were put into service. Prior to its inaugural run, on November 11, 1934, the train went on exhibition around the country. The train made its first stop for one day in Philly, then it toured Eastern and Midwestern cities. It then went from Denver to Chicago to help inaugurate the second year opening of the World’s Fair Century of Progress. Following that, it toured the Western states, which included the publicized stop here in San Francisco, then finally back to the Fair to be exhibited. The Chicago Tribune wrote, “the Zephyr also was in the vanguard of a styling revolution” May 1, 1994. Ultimately, more than half a dozen different rail companies were operating zephyrs.

William h. bull (1861-1940)
SHASTA ROUTE / FOUR TRAINS DAILY / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1922.

23¼x16 inches, 59x40¾ cm.

William H. Bull moved from Buffalo, New York to California in 1882, where he “became the in-house artist for [Southern Pacific] and, beginning in 1898, its pioneering booster-magazine venture, Sunset. He specialized in illustrations that emphasized the vast, romantic West, numerous examples of which ran as Sunset magazine covers and were also produced as newsstand posters” (Zega, p. 15). The Shasta Route was also called “The Road of a Thousand Wonders,” five of which are depicted here. Rare. We could locate only one other copy at auction in the last 23 years. Zega p. 58.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
LAKE TAHOE / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1923.

22¾x16 inches, 57¾x40¾ cm.

Working out of Northern California, Maurice Logan was a prominent commercial and fine artist. In 1917, he joined five other California painters to form the "Society of Six," a group of artists whose work was categorized first and foremost by bold colors. "Considered outsiders in their time, their work is now recognized as part of the vital and enduring lineage of American art" (Society of Six). In 1923, Maurice Logan began designing posters for the Southern Pacific Railway. For these earliest images, "he used the flat color effects of the German poster technique, painting with bold colors and relying on color contrast for depth. The series depicted women in emblematic settings" (Zega p. 58). These early Southern Pacific posters, with their broad, flat planes of color and absence of outlining, are reminiscent of work by Ludwig Hohlwein. Later in the decade, as Logan continued his work with the railroad, his posters became less graphic and more painterly. Zega p. 61, Northern California pl. 9.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
TAHOE LAKE REGION / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1929.

22¾x15¼ inches, 58x38¾ cm.

The Southern Pacific Railway relied more on posters for advertising than any other railroad. “As the twenties progressed, [Southern Pacific] management gradually came to the realization that their line’s advertising would be more effective if it focused on a single memorable theme . . . California’s romantic appeal” (Zega p. 57).

Attributed to maurice logan (1886-1977)
SAN FRANCISCO OVERLAND LIMITED / SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES. 1927.

23¼x16 inches, 59x40¾ cm.

Before 1936, the pre-Streamliner years, the most prestigious and elegant way to travel from Chicago to San Francisco was on the Overland Limited. It was a celebrity train on par with the Santa Fe Chief (which ran from Chicago to Los Angeles). The name “Aristocrat” was chosen to highlight the elegance of service, and the image emphasizes the classiness of the clientele. There is also some debate in professional circles as to the artist of this poster. It has been attributed both to Maurice Logan AND Fred Ludekens.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
SHASTA ROUTE / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1927.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Zega 79.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
4 GREAT ROUTES EAST / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1931.

22½x16 inches, 57¼x40¾ cm.

A variation of this image appeared on the cover of a Southern Pacific brochure in 1931, with details on each of the four great routes traversed by the railroad. The ship pictured below the train is one that passengers could take from New Orleans to New York City, whose skyline is depicted in the background.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
WEST COAST OF MEXICO ROUTE / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1927.

22¾x16 inches, 58x40¾ cm.

A variation of this image also appears on the cover of a 1927 Southern Pacific brochure which bills Mexico as “A fascinating ‘foreign’ country just across the border.” It promotes the fact that, “Southern Pacific of Mexico has just completed connection of its lines between Tepic and Guadlajara, opening a route of great importance for commerce and travel from the United States, via Tucson and Nogales, Arizona, through to Mexico City and the interior of Mexico.” Rare. We could locate only one other copy at auction.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
SEE MEXICO THIS YEAR / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1930s.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

This second poster Logan designed for the Southern Pacific’s West Coast Route differs from most of his other posters in that it is a much more graphic representation, rather than painterly, of an American couple in a Mexican market.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
SEE CALIFORNIA ON THE DAYLIGHT LIMITED / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1928.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Weekend-only rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles was initiated in 1922, and by 1923, became a daily service. To make the most of the scenery, two-thirds of the train's observation car was open-air. This same image was used on the cover of a 1928 Southern Pacific brochure entitled "California for the Tourist / Southern Pacific."

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
DEL MONTE AND MONTEREY PENINSULA / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1927.

23¼x16 inches, 59x40¾ cm.

Life looks very good on this verdant Southern California golf course under the crisp blue sky, where Gatsby-esque golfers tee off. Distant yachts and horseback riding add a sophisticated feeling of privilege, wealth and exclusivity to this stylish image from a painting by Maurice Logan. Rare. We have located only two other copies at auction in the last 23 years.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
CALIFORNIA BIG TREES / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1928.

22½x16 inches, 56x40¾ cm.

“As [his campaign with Southern Pacific] progressed, Logan’s style also evolved . . . Concurrently, SP gave him free rein in both his poster style and selection of subjects . . . Logan’s palette increasingly emphasized the brilliant colors emblematic of the California landscape . . . he made increasing use of the impasto technique, applying heavy, textured swirls and strokes of oil paint to achieve depth and contrast” (Zega p. 61). From the image, this appears to be the Wawona Tree, in Yosemite National Park’s Mariposa Grove, one of the giant Sequoias that had tunnels dug through them in the late 19th century. The Wawona Tree fell in 1969. Richmond p. 72.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
REDWOOD EMPIRE TOUR / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1928.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

This same image was also used in 1930 on a cover of a brochure promoting the excursion from San Francisco.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
CRATER LAKE / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1927.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Oregon's scenic Crater Lake could be accessed by automobiles arranged by the railroad from the Southern Pacific's stations of Weed and Medford. The incredible region, which consists of "21 square miles of water so intensely blue it looks like ink, ringed by cliffs towering up to 2,000 feet above. The mountain bluebird, Indian legend says, was gray before dipping into the waters. The tranquil Gem of the Cascades is set in a dormant volcano called Mount Mazama, one in the chain of volcanoes that includes Mount St. Helens. Mount Mazama's eruption about 5700 B.C. catapulted volcanic ash miles into the sky and expelled so much pumice and ash that the summit soon collapsed, creating a huge, smoldering caldera. Eventually, rain and snowmelt accumulated in the caldera, forming a lake more than 1,900 feet deep, the deepest lake in the United States" (National Geographic).

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
BY RAIL ACROSS GREAT SALT LAKE / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1928.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

By the late 1920s, Logan had begun “including a train into many of his designs. A particularly vivid image - two Overland Limiteds passing as they cross the Great Salt Lake in opposite directions - summed up the campaign and the era: It set a distinguished grouping upon the Overland’s observation platform, absorbed in the drama of both the West and western railroading” (Zega p. 61). Zega fig. 78.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
CARRISO GORGE / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1929.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

The “Carrizo Gorge,” as it is more frequently spelled, is situated in the Jacumba Mountains, near San Diego. In Logan’s own words, “posters, of course, should give broad impressions rather than details, and yet the picture should depict the scene unmistakably. To do this I try to keep my values correct. First, I study the landscape until I know it intimately, sketching it exactly as it appears. After that all sorts of devices may be used to express the spirit, providing I keep the values correct. By values I mean color and outline with relation to each other rather than to the original” (Richmond p. 70). Logan “made increasing use of the impasto technique, applying heavy, textured swirls and strokes of oil paint to achieve depth and contrast” (Zega p. 61). Zega p. 64.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
NEW ORLEANS / SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES. 1928.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

A view of a New Orleans courtyard, specifically Governor Clairborne’s home on Toulouse Street in the French Quarter, with its recognizable fan window. William Clairborne, elected in 1804, was the first American governor of the Orleans territory. Another version of this poster has the upper and lower text in umber.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
OLD MISSIONS / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1930.

22¾x15¼ inches, 57¾x38¾ cm.

Logan depicts colonial life in the plaza in front of the Mission Santa Barbara, founded by Franciscans in 1786.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
THE ALAMO / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1930.

22¾x16 inches, 58x40¾ cm.

A view of the famed front of the Alamo chapel, seen across the convent yard through the entrance gate.

Maurice logan (1886-1977)
RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY INC. / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1930.

22½x15½ inches, 57x39½ cm.

American Railway Express came into being during the First World War, when the U.S. Government nationalized the country’s shipping and freight industries. Although run by the government, the majority of the company was owned by American Express, whose president at the time was also the president of American Railway Express. Here, in the background, you can see another of the company’s posters on the side of one of the railroad cars. Richmond p. 73.

Designer unknown
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES. 1928.

24¼x32¾ inches, 61½x83¼ cm.

A picturesque and historically-themed map, which, in its own words is “done in the old style, indicates Southern Pacific’s four great routes to the Pacific Coast. Following the trails of the pioneers, they are the best natural routes to the land of scenery and romance . . . these routes today offer not only great natural geographic advantages for the flow of travel and commerce but also inspiring traditions, glorious scenery and the finest of modern railway service.”

Michel kady (1901-1977)
SUNSET ROUTE / BY RAIL AND SEA TO NEW YORK. 1928.

21x14¾ inches, 53½x37½ cm.

Kady was a San Francisco painter who did a lot of illustration work for magazines. A Southern Pacific brochure from 1931, with a variation of this image on the cover, describes the Sunset Route as connecting “two of America’s most distinctive and truly cosmopolitan cities - San Francisco and New Orleans. Old Spain’s influence still lives along this route that runs close to Mexico. A one-day side trip over the Apache Trail highway of Arizona is a delightful break in the journey, as is the visit to the Carlsbad Caverns from El Paso. At New Orleans, after an interesting journey through the romantic South, the traveler may continue east or north by train or board a Southern Pacific steamship and reach New York after ‘100 Golden Hours at Sea.’” In this effective pastiche image, Kady incorporates the train pulling out of its terminus in the West and the sea route to New York City.

Lewis rothe (1875-1951)
CALIFORNIA. Circa 1928.

22½x15¾ inches, 57¼x40 cm.

A version of this map appeared in a 1928 Southern Pacific brochure, "California for the Tourist." Very much in the style of works by Jo Mora, the map highlights areas and activities around the state of California. Rothe was a painter who spent most of his life in California.

Roberto montenegro (1885-1968)
WEST COAST ROUTE / THE VALLEY OF MEXICO AND SURROUNDINGS. Circa 1935.

22¼x16½ inches, 56½x42 cm.

Montenegro was an illustrator, painter and muralist. This map comes from a 1935 brochure entitled “Mexico,” published by the Southern Pacific Railway, in which it states that the original paintings for these images hung in Southern Pacific’s ticket office in Mexico City, and that they “illustrate three of the states served by the Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico-Nayarit, Sonora and Sinaloa.” The third mural is not present here as it appeared on a different page of the original brochure.

Amado gonzalez (1913-2007)
SOUTHERN PACIFIC’S HOTEL / PLAYA DE CORTES. Gouache maquette. Circa 1935.

26x19½ inches, 66x49½ cm.

The Southern Pacific opened its Spanish Colonial-style Playa de Cortes hotel in the 1930s, on the Bahia Bacochibampo in Guaymas. A period brochure stated, "Playa de Cortes is unique not only in that it is America's newest foreign playground, but also in that it is located in one of America's closest foreign playgrounds. In fact, it is not much farther away than many of the resorts in the United States . . . yet you are in a foreign country. It is easy to get there because of convenient rail service. It is reached from Tucson on the route of the Southern Pacific's famous Sunset Limited (New Orleans - Los Angeles- San Francisco) and the crack Golden State Limited (Chicago-Los Angeles). From Tucson it is only part of a day and a night to Playa de Cortes by air-conditioned Pullman on Southern Pacific's West Coast of Mexico Route."

Born in Guadalajara, Gonzalez moved to San Francisco in 1927. He studied at the California School of Fine Art and became a painter, illustrator, commercial graphic designer, muralist and ultimately an art professor at San Francisco City College. He worked for The American President Line, Southern Pacific, the California Wine Advisory Board and other corporate clients.

Amado gonzalez (1913-2007)
SOUTHERN PACIFIC’S HOTEL / PLAYA DE CORTES. Circa 1935.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Hotel Playa de Cortes, near Guaymas, was built and owned by the Southern Pacific, as part of its West Coast of Mexico tourist development. Opened in 1935 it featured prominently in brochures and posters designed by Gonzalez, Robert Windrem, Maurice Logan and others.

Ray bethers (1902-1973)
WEST COAST OF MEXICO / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1937.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Art Director’s 17th Annual, 1938, p. 131.

Designer unknown
TUNE IN ON THE NEW STREAMLINER / “CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO.” Circa 1936.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

The City of San Francisco streamliner went into service on June 14, 1936. It was operated by several different railway companies including Southern Pacific. In its original formation (pictured here) it had an M-10004 engine, which was recognizable by its bulbous nose and prominent front grill. It was replaced early in 1938 by EMC E2 engines. This poster, advertising a radio show name after the train, was issued as part of a massive publicity campaign prior to the train’s inaugural run.

Designer unknown
39 ¾ HOURS TO CHICAGO! / “CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO.” 1936.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

This, the Southern Pacific’s “first streamliner poster . . . emphasized the distinctive “armor yellow” color and automotive profile of the new City of San Francisco. The artists communicated modernity and speed by rendering the train in a seamless watercolor wash, removing all traces of rivets and vestibules” (Zega p. 111). Rare. We could find only one other copy at auction. Zega 140.

Sam hyde harris (1889-1977)
SOUTHERN PACIFIC’S NEW DAYLIGHT. Gouache maquette. 1937.

26¾x19½ inches, 68x49½ cm.

Harris was born in England and moved to Los Angeles when he was 15. He began his career as a commercial artist, painting notices on sides of buildings, creating signs and billboards, designing posters, typography and more. In 1920, he was hired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company to design posters. He also worked for the Southern Pacific. "The major portion of the advertising appeared in brochures, magazines and newspapers, but local advertisements were in the form of billboards and hand-painted posters that appeared in department stores, banks, displays in windows and bulletin boards in ticket offices and lobbies" (Harris p. 18).

In the 1930s, "streamlined trains were among the most striking, visible and accessible examples of Modernism" in America (Zega p. 104). "The streamliner was perfectly suited to the poster medium; its smooth airflow profile offered the prospect of a respite from America's stylistic preoccupation with realism" (ibid). An excellent example of American modernist design. Zega 141, Harris p. 103, Affiche Art Deco p. 86, Affiches Chemins de Fer p. 69.

Sam hyde harris (1889-1977)
SOUTHERN PACIFIC’S NEW DAYLIGHT. 1937.

22¾x16 inches, 57¾x40½ cm.

This is a previously-unrecorded color variant, differing from the usual red and orange depiction of the train (see previous lot). Zega 141, Harris p. 103, Affiche Art Deco p. 86, Affiches Chemins de Fer p. 69.

Sam hyde harris (1889-1977)
TWO DAYLIGHTS DAILY! TO LOS ANGELES / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1938.

21½x16 inches, 54½x40¾ cm.

Southern Pacific began operating its streamlined train service, Daylight, between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1937. The route was so popular (the trains were frequently referred to as “the most beautiful trains in the world”) that by 1940 they were running twice a day. The Morning Daylight and the Noon Daylight. It wasn’t until the middle of 1938 that Southern Pacific began offering their $6 one-way fare. Initially it had cost $9.47 for the same ticket, but the railroad had to lower the price in the face of competition from the Santa Fe Railroad, which offered cheaper tickets on the same route.

Hyde harris (1889-1977)
TWO DAYLIGHTS DAILY! / TO SAN FRANCISCO / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1938.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

This is the same design as the previous lot, except it advertises the trains running to San Francisco instead of to Los Angeles

Fred ludekens (1900-1982)
SOUTHERN PACIFIC’S STREAMLINED DAYLIGHT LOS ANGELES - SAN FRANCISCO. 1937.

20¼x41½ inches, 51½x105½ cm.

In the 1930s, “streamlined trains were among the most striking, visible and accessible examples of Modernism” in America (Zega p. 104). “The streamliner was perfectly suited to the poster medium; its smooth airflow profile offered the prospect of a respite from America’s stylistic preoccupation with realism” (ibid). The GS-2 locomotive (pictured here) was put into service in 1937; it was the first of its kind to bear the iconic red and orange color scheme. Trains, pulling 12 Pullman-Standard cars each, would leave Los Angeles and San Francisco at 8:15am every morning and arrive at their destinations simultaneously at 6pm. Pictured is engine #4410, the first GS-2 locomotive built for Southern Pacific.

Fred ludekens (1900-1982) & studio
SOUTHERN PACIFIC’S STREAMLINED DAYLIGHT. 1937.

20x41 inches, 51x104¼ cm.

This second version of the previous poster was slightly revised by Southern Pacific studio artists so does not bear Ludekens’ signature.

Willard r. cox (1902-1974)
CARLSBAD CAVERNS / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1939.

22¾x15½ inches, 57¾x39½ cm.

In 1940, the geologically stupendous Carlsbad Caverns became part of Southern Pacific’s advertising as a great day trip on the journey west to see San Francisco’s World’s Fair. Travelers could disembark in El Paso and then travel by “big, stream-lined, air-conditioned motor coach” to see the caverns, and be back in El Paso by the evening to continue their westward journey. The railroad used this same image in newspaper ads (see Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 29, 1940).

Ray bethers (1902-1973)
SOUTHERN PACIFIC / YOU TAKE THE HIGHROAD - I’LL TAKE THE RAILROAD! Circa 1939.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Bethers was the Art Director at Lord & Thomas Advertising Agency in San Francisco. In that role, he worked with Amado Gonzalez and Robert Windrem, among other artists, on the Southern Pacific account. He also designed a few posters himself.

Ray bethers (1902-1973)
SOUTHERN ARIZONA / DUDE RANCHES & RESORTS. Circa 1939.

22¾x15¾ inches, 57¾x40 cm.

Designer unknown
PLAY IN THE SNOW / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1939.

23¼x16 inches, 59x40¾ cm.

Among the winter sport destinations in California serviced by the Southern Pacific (according to a 1932 brochure), were Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Reno, Mt. Shasta, Yosemite, Auburn-Cisco, Norden, Soda Springs, Placerville and Sequoia National Park.

Designer unknown
FAST • SAFE TRAINS TO SNOW SPORTS / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1939.

22¾x16 inches, 58x40¾ cm.

Designer unknown
THE NEW STREAMLINER “CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO” / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1939.

22½x15¾ inches, 57¼x40 cm.

The City of San Francisco went into service in 1936, making the run from Chicago to Oakland in 39 hours and 45 minutes. In early 1938, a new train set was inaugurated featuring the E2 engine, shown here pulling her Pullman cars around Donner Lake.

William haines hall (1903-1977)
CROSSING GREAT SALT LAKE ON SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1940.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Hall was a commercial artist who worked in San Francisco. Hall was an active member of The Thirteen Watercolorists (which eventually became the Society of Western Artists), along with Maynard Dixon and Maurice Logan, who also designed posters for the Southern Pacific. Although he allegedly designed posters for San Francisco’s Bohemian Club, of which he was a member, none have yet surfaced. The Southern Pacific Railroad began advertising their streamlined trains via posters in 1936. Zega 142.

Designer unknown
THE SAN FRANCISCO CHALLENGER TO CHICAGO / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1941.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

The San Francisco Challenger, connecting Oakland, California, with Chicago, was a popular, low-budget train, in service from 1936 until 1947. The trip took 60 hours. This image features one of the line’s “registered nurse stewardesses,” all of whom were “hospital graduates,” and worked on the train not just to provide medical assistance but primarily to provide support for women traveling with small children.

Robert windrem (1905-1985)
NEW ORLEANS / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1941.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

Windrem was a commercial artist and a painter. Here, one can see New Orleans’ business district in the background over the charming roofs of the French Quarter. Art Directors 21st Annual, 1942, p. 134.

Sperry (dates unknown)
THE NEW SUNSET LIMITED / FRENCH QUARTER LOUNGE. Circa 1950.

23¼x16 inches, 59x40¾ cm.

Introduced in 1950, the streamlined Sunset Limited ran between Los Angeles and New Orleans. It made the trip in 48 hours and was filled with delightful amenities and cutting-edge technology. A Southern Pacific promotional brochure for the train issued in 1950, explains that "The Sunset Route between New Orleans and Los Angeles takes you through these five states: Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It is 2,070 miles long." It further touts the bar car thusly, "the full-length [French Quarter] lounge suggests the mood of New Orleans' famous Vieux Carré, but in a modern setting. White wrought-iron grillwork accentuates the old French Quarter feeling. The watermelon-red ceiling lends a touch of Mardi Gras atmosphere." (Brochure can be seen here).

Sam hyde harris (1889-1977)
SUNSET LIMITED / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1950.

23x16 inches, 58½x40¾ cm.

The Sunset Limited, which went into operation in 1894, is America's oldest named train. It traveled along the Sunset Route from New Orleans to San Francisco, through Los Angeles, effectively connecting the East and West Coast of the continental United States. In 1950, the line was upgraded to a new streamlined, stainless-steel equipment manufactured by the Budd Company. Now only going as far as Los Angeles, it made the run in 42 hours. Harris' image was used in both a vertical and a horizontal format (See lot 150), and also appears in brochures, mailers and other printed advertisements.

Sam hyde harris (1889-1977)
THE NEW SUNSET LIMITED / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1950.

23x32¼ inches, 58½x82 cm.

Robert peak (1927-1992)
STAIRWAY TO THE STARS / SOUTHERN PACIFIC. 1955.

21½x14¾ inches, 54½x37½ cm.

Peak was a commercial illustrator and designer with numerous prominent magazine covers to his credit (TV Guide, Time and Sports Illustrated), as well as some U.S. postage stamp designs. Most famously, he is remembered for his many memorable, if not iconic, movie posters such as My Fair Lady, Apocalypse Now, Superman, The Spy Who Loved Me and many others. He designed this poster early on in his career, only a few years after he graduated from Art Center College of Design, in Los Angeles.

Gustav w. krollmann (1888-1962)
NORTH COAST LIMITED / IN THE MONTANA ROCKIES. 1929.

38x27¾ inches, 96½x70½ cm.

Here, the North Coast Limited is shown going over the Bozeman Pass in the Montana Rockies. The train is pulled by a mighty Alco (American Locomotive Company) 4-8-4 engine. Zega 104. Austrian-born Krollmann came to the United States in 1923, settling in Minneapolis where he taught at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. He designed a series of posters for the Northern Pacific Railroad using images “that displayed a strong sense of modeling and a richness of color” (Zega p. 83).

Gustav w. krollmann (1888-1962)
MISSION RANGE / NORTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1930.

40x29¾ inches, 101½x75½ cm. Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul.

The Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited route was established in the 1880s. Here, engine #2607 (no doubt a personal favorite of Krollmann’s, as it appears in several of his posters) is steaming across Montana’s Mission Valley.

Gustav w. krollmann (1888-1962)
MONTANA / NORTHERN PACIFIC. Circa 1930.

40½x30 inches, 103x76¼ cm. Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul.

Here, the North Coast Limited is passing by the resplendent Absaroka Mountains which help delineate the Montana / Wyoming border. Although the engine number is not visible, the locomotive appears to be an Alco (American Locomotive Company) 4-8-4 engine, which went into service for Northern Pacific in the late 1920s.