Posters

About Vintage Posters

In 1867, Jules Cheret, inspired by Japanese woodcuts, used the newly-developed four-color lithograph system to combine text and images into a new, easily produced, temporary form of advertising – the poster. Soon, European artists like Alphonse Mucha, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen were creating posters combining Art Nouveau aesthetics with easily understandable advertising.

Vintage posters are highly collectible as they can make great discussion pieces and bridge the worlds of art and history. The 20th Century saw a wide variety of memorable and iconic posters, from Uncle Sam's “I Want You” recruiting posters to Depression-era WPA posters to Fillmore-era concert posters. The prominence of the poster has continued into the 21st century, with a notable example being Shepard Fairey's Obama poster...

There are many collectible poster varieties, such as wartime, movies, music, political, sports, circus, aviation, railroad, and pure art posters. Condition, rarity, and attractiveness are especially critical with posters. Do your homework before you buy.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Poster Designer David Lance Goines

I don’t collect posters. I don’t collect anything. I started making posters one at a time by hand in high… [more]

Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Magic Posters

What are vintage magic posters? Posters of magicians printed by the stone lithography method qualify as v… [more]

An Interview With Vintage Movie Poster Collector Sam Sarowitz

Our first book was called "The Independent Movie Poster Book" and that was published by Harry Abrams. The foc… [more]



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Posters Videos



See all 37 videos


Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

London Transport Museum Posters

London Transport Museum Posters

A must-see collection of 5,000 vivid, colorful British posters from the early 1900s onward. Browse by artist (over … [read review or visit site]

Circusmuseum.nl

Circusmuseum.nl

Step right up and check out almost 8,000 beautiful circus posters, photos and prints. Assembled by longtime Dutch c… [read review or visit site]

Fillmore and Avalon Collection

Fillmore and Avalon Collection

Wish you'd visited San Francisco in the late 1960s? Get a quick hit with this comprehensive collection of psychadel… [read review or visit site]

MagicGallery.com

MagicGallery.com

This collection of hundreds of posters, cards and portaits from the 'golden age of magic' (1890-1930) is organized … [read review or visit site]

USSR Posters

USSR Posters

Ben Perry's Flickr photoset showcasing almost 1500 Soviet propaganda, advertising, theatre and movie posters from 1… [read review or visit site]

New York Public Library

New York Public Library

The New York Public Library's impressive Digital Gallery offers free access to over 500,000 historical images inclu… [read review or visit site]

The American Memory Project

The American Memory Project

This amazing Library of Congress site includes about a hundred photo and document collections (see complete list) o… [read review or visit site]


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Other Great Reference Sites: Posters

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Top eBay Auctions  Help | Get weekly Posters email

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Lennon Two Virgins Uk Apple Lp & *shop Poster* Beatles$2,109 Ends in 13 hours 31 bids 94 watchers
Obey Giant Signed Poster (#55/100) 18x24 1998 Oop Rare$710.00 Ends in 1 hour 9 bids 30 watchers
1995 Nola Jazz Fest Poster By George Rodrigue Blue Dog$650.00 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 15 watchers
Phish Poster - Michael Everett - Rare - Not Pollock$611.03 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 23 watchers
1968 Original Grateful Dead Santana Bg134 Poster$609.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 18 watchers
The Guild (felicia Day) Screen Used Prop Poster Auto'd$601.00 Ends in 18 hours 26 bids 45 watchers
Bg-4 Jefferson Airplane Poster Fillmore Bill Graham Nm$600.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 16 watchers
Rare Emek Ween Flaming Lips Hemp Variant Poster #50/50$600.00 Ends in 18 hours 4 bids 25 watchers
Bruce Weber Nude Print / Poster 1991 Fahey / Klein Rare$600.00 Ends Monday 8 bids 2 watchers
Pearl Jam Emek Poster- Signed And Doodled!$510.00 Ends Sunday 16 bids 44 watchers
Jimi Hendrix Poster Buy it Now$500.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 1 watcher
Rare Nascar Gatorade Circle Of Champions Poster$500.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 2 watchers
Original 1964 Monaco F1 Grand Prix Poster $500.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Sram Ltd Edition Lance Armstrong Poster: Tour Of Ca$480.00 Ends Tuesday 14 bids 11 watchers
A Fistful Of Dollars Teaser A Poster Eastwood 1967$465.00 Ends in 12 hours 9 bids 30 watchers
Sram Lance Armstrong Autographed Poster: Gila$455.00 Ends Tuesday 14 bids 11 watchers
Phish - Pollock - Columbus, Oh 2000 - Polaris - Poster$404.00 Ends Friday 2 bids 19 watchers
Vintage Twa Travel Poster New York David Klein 25"x 40"$401.99 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 36 watchers
Sram Lance Armstrong Autograhped Poster: Milano Sanremo$385.00 Ends Tuesday 11 bids 12 watchers
James Bond " From Russia With Love" Orig Uk Quad Poster$371.78 Ends in 10 hours 12 bids 46 watchers
Sram Lance Armstrong Autographed Poster Tour De France $360.00 Ends Tuesday 17 bids 15 watchers
Sram Lance Armstrong Autographed Poster: Giro D'italia$355.00 Ends Tuesday 15 bids 14 watchers
Sram Lance Armstrong Autograhped Poster: Leadville 100$310.00 Ends Tuesday 21 bids 11 watchers
Klein Vintage Travel Poster - Fly Twa - Las Vegas $305.00 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 18 watchers
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame 1939 Original Movie Poster $304.99 Ends Monday 17 bids 22 watchers
Big Brother Griffin Moscoso Aor Fillmore Era Poster$299.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 11 watchers
Original Grateful Dead Family Dog Concert Poster$299.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 8 watchers
Phish Festival 8 Pollock Halloween Print Poster$295.00 Ends in 1 hour 15 bids 34 watchers
1939 New York World's Fair Poster Albert Staehle Framed$290.00 Ends Monday 13 bids 78 watchers
Phish Festival 8 Pollock Halloween Print Poster Mint $280.00 Ends Monday 15 bids 35 watchers
1950s United Air Lines Hawaii Advertising Travel Poster$256.00 Ends Thursday 9 bids 11 watchers
Original 1940s New York Central Railroad Travel Poster$255.00 Ends in 8 hours 10 bids 34 watchers
Bway Billy Elliot Cast Signed Poster Props Gift Package$255.00 Ends Friday 11 bids 4 watchers
Bg-91 Janis Joplin Pink Floyd Poster Fillmore '67 Mint $250.00 Ends in 16 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
Satin Skin Powder Us 1910 Original Poster Nm$250.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 1 watcher
Fillmore Era - Family Dog Poster Fd-26-rp-3$249.99 Ends in 18 hours 1 bid 13 watchers
Phish Pollock Print Festival 8 Poster (ltd. Ed. S/n)$230.88 Ends in 11 hours 13 bids 32 watchers
Vintage Twa Travel Poster - Fly Twa To Chicago$224.72 Ends Tuesday 13 bids 19 watchers
Vtg Air France Travel Poster Villemot French Riviera$224.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 29 watchers
Phish Official Festival 8 Poster $217.50 Ends in 9 hours 11 bids 23 watchers
Phish Festival Halloween Poster Pollock Indio, Ca S/n$215.13 Ends in 15 hours 7 bids 16 watchers
Orig Wwii British Raf Air Force Airplane Poster *nr*$211.50 Ends Monday 10 bids 52 watchers
Sram Limited Edition Lance Poster: Tour De France $202.50 Ends in 19 hours 7 bids 4 watchers
Sram Limited Edition Lance Poster: Leadville 100$202.50 Ends in 19 hours 4 bids 5 watchers
Sram Lance Armstrong Autographed Poster Tour Of Ireland$202.50 Ends Tuesday 11 bids 12 watchers
Animals Eric Burdon Bg89 Signed Fillmore Concert Poster$202.50 Ends in 12 hours 2 bids 18 watchers
Signed Pearl Jam Poster From Acl Ames Bros. Mint$202.50 Ends in 17 hours 5 bids 11 watchers
Coke Coca Cola Sprite Boy Cardboard Sign Poster Frame$202.50 Ends in 19 hours 3 bids 37 watchers
Vintage Fats Waller Concert Poster 1938$199.99 Ends in 18 hours 1 bid 6 watchers
Lost Dan Mccarthy Rousseau's Transmission Poster Print$199.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 22 watchers
Rare 1992 New Orleans Jazz Fest Festival Poster, Signed$195.00 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
1914 Mardi Gras Float Poster By Walle & Co. New Orleans$187.50 Ends Tuesday 6 bids 17 watchers
Phish Festival 8 Aj Masthay Triptych Print Poster Set$187.50 Ends Monday 22 bids 32 watchers
Emek Ween Boulder '05- 1st Edition Foil Poster$180.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 9 watchers
Original Lon Chaney Hunchback/notre Dame Theater Poster$178.51 Ends in 15 hours 10 bids 28 watchers
1x Big Day Out 2010 Melbourne Ticket + Free Bdo Poster $176.70 Ends Thursday 6 bids 8 watchers
Art Deco Jc Leyendecker American Eagle Amoco Poster $176.01 Ends Tuesday 10 bids 5 watchers
Them Crooked Vultures - Emek Poster - Numbered & Signed$172.27 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 25 watchers

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Recent News: Posters

Source: Google News

Weekly entertainment calendar
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 5th

Katie Gingrass Gallery: Vintage Poster Exhibition, (through Dec.), 241 N. Broadway, (414) 289-0855. Landmarks Gallery: Design & Abstraction: Cadillac Jones,...Read more

Mad for it
Eye Weekly, November 4th

That's about as obvious as things get, though the vintage poster goes well with the festival's opener and centrepiece, the Canadian premiere of Clara (****...Read more

NorCal CycleFest tickets still available
BikeRadar.com, October 30th

"This year attendees will enjoy the vintage poster show, our line-up of speakers and the silent auction which provides a great win-win opportunity to...Read more

Inside the Jamiel House
EastBayRI.com, October 28th

A vintage poster of Raquel Welch is stapled to the wall. Each room is distinctive, said Ms. Taber, as the bedrooms each have their own style...Read more

Antiques calendar
San Jose Mercury News, October 23rd

International Vintage Poster Fair. Thousands of vintage posters priced at $100 to $1000 by more than 20 dealers from around the world. 10 am-7 pm Oct. 24...Read more

Connoisseur's Guide
Forbes, October 16th

As Nicolette Tomkinson, director of the vintage poster department for Christie's in London, says wryly, "It's good wall coverage for your money...Read more

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???, October 15th

???????? International Vintage Poster Fair ??10?16??18????5-9pm???10am-7pm???11am-6pm? ????????????????????19...Read more

Percy Jackson poster
JoBlo.com, October 15th

Chris Columbus was responsible for a lot of the movies I loved when I was a kid. Dude wrote GREMLINS and GOONIES, directed ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING and...Read more

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