Vintage Movie Poster Collection Commands Center Stage at Gray's Auctioneers on July 11
Cleveland, OH - The art and design of classic, vintage, original movie posters will take center stage at Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers on Wednesday, July 11th, as over 100 original movie posters and banners will come up for bid online and in Gray’s showrooms at 10717 Detroit Avenue in Cleveland. The posters are all out of an important single-owner collection from Ohio.
Certain to attract bidder attention will be lot 327, an iconic movie poster from the inimitable 1947 Orson Welles classic film, The Lady from Shanghai, starring Rita Hayworth. Like all the best movie poster designs, this one distills the essence of the moving image into a single frame, combining text, design, photography and advertising into a unique and unforgettable work of art.
Another lot to watch is #290, a rare linen-backed movie banner for the early talkie The Saturday Night Kid (Paramount Pictures, 1929), starring Clara Bow, nicknamed “The It Girl” and the actress who came to personify the Roaring 20s and was its leading sex symbol. The Lady from Shanghai and The Saturday Night Kid are both graded B+ and carry estimates of $6,000-$8,000.
In all, more than 400 quality lots will come under the gavel, starting at 11 am Eastern time. “This delightful summer auction is filled with fine art, vintage movie posters, furniture and decorations consigned by collectors and estates from Cleveland and the surrounding area,” said Serena Harragin, CEO of Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers. Live online bidding is available now at Graysauctioneers.com.
Fans of silver will have much to consider, beginning with the two Wallace sterling silver Grand Baroque flatware services for 12 (lots 38 and 39), both produced in the 20th century and having identical estimates of $2,000-$4,000. The approximate troy weights are 131.53 oz. and 144.3 oz.
An exceptional German silver tea and coffee service by J.D. Schlessinger Sohne, Hanau (circa 1900-1920), comprising a kettle with a burner on a stand, coffee pot, teapot, creamer, sugar bowl and a waste bowl, all set on a matching oval tray with cherub handles and monogrammed, should realize $8,000-$10,000. All the pieces boast footed shaped ovoid bodies with acanthus reserves.
A charming set of four German rococo style .800 silver and gilt pepper shakers and salt cellars (circa 1900), possibly by J.D. Schlessigner, Hanau and having cherub supports and foliate designs, should breeze to $3,000-$5,000; while a Russian silver and cut glass 18-piece men’s grooming set (circa 1886), weighing 46.80 ozt., fully hallmarked, should make $2,000-$4,000.
A pair of horse racing-themed oil on canvas paintings by William Garrett van Zandt (Am., 1857-1942), both from the collection of Oliver and Joyce Murphy, are lots 11 and 12 and are estimated at $3,000-$5,000 each. One is titled Checkerberry (1913), 17 inches by 20 inches; the other Miss Harris M (1918), 18 inches by 25 inches. Both of the paintings have been artist signed and dated.
Other fine art star lots will include an oil on canvas by Louis Aston Knight (Fr., 1873-1948), titled La Chaumiere de Diane, Beaumont-le-Roger, Normandy, signed, measuring 42 inches by 55 inches framed (est. $8,000-$10,000); and an oil on canvas by Antoine Blanchard (Fr., 1910-1988), titled View of the Arc de Triomphe, signed, 15 inches by 30 inches (est. $5,000-$7,000).
Two artworks share the same $2,000-$4,000 pre-sale estimate. One is an unsigned figural oil on canvas done in the manner of John Singleton Copley (Am., 1737-1815), titled Gentleman and Lady with Children in a Courtyard. The other is a Floral Still Life oil on canvas painted in the manner of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (Fr., 1636-1699), unsigned, with inpainting and craquelure.
Lot 27a is a fantastical untitled welded steel sculpture by an unknown artist, somewhat akin to a tree that has been twisted and curled around itself to a point of sublime abstraction. It’s nature rendered into the mechanical. The 20th century creation, standing 64 inches tall by 58 inches wide and 28 inches deep, makes a strong artistic statement and is estimated to bring $400-$600.
Another astounding sculptural creation, this one lot 28 by Susie Frazier Mueller (b. 1970), has an enormous guitar sitting on a tubular steel stand as its focal point and is titled Imagine Harmony with Nature (Guitar Mania for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). The 2002 work, 10 feet 9 inches tall and made using slate roofing tiles, tree branches and mixed media, should hit $2,000-$4,000.
Gray’s Auctioneers are open for in-person previews at the Cleveland showrooms July 5th-11th, from 10am -5pm Eastern; and Saturday, July 6th, from 12 noon ‘til 4 pm. The fully illustrated catalog is now online at GraysAuctioneers.com. Telephone and absentee bids are also accepted.
Gray’s Auctioneers are northern Ohio’s leading licensed auctioneers and appraisers of fine art, antiques, decorative arts, rare books, fine jewelry and antique rugs. The boutique auction house has over two decades of experience in the art business. Experts at Gray’s offer traditional real estate services and specialists there have worked with museums, educational institutions, corporations and private collectors to achieve the full value of collections at auction.
Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about selling a single piece, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (216) 226-3300; or, you can send an e-mail to Serena Harragin, CEO, at sharragin@graysauctioneers.com
To learn more about Gray’s Auctioneers & Appraisers and the live and internet auction planned for Wednesday, July 11th, at 11 am, visit www.graysauctioneers.com. Updates are posted often.
