• The Fort Mason Center Monthly - August 2007
• San Francisco Chronicle - September 20, 2006
• The Fort Mason Center Monthly - August 2005
• Other Press
The Fort Mason Center Monthly - August 2007
Vintage European Poster Sale
by Ron Tierney
Firehouse
It’s not always acknowledged, but advertising is as much art as it is marketing. While some of it may be dismal and exploitive, early advertising was, for the most part, less so. Some of it was strikingly beautiful, which is the case of the poster, ubiquitous in the days before television and the Internet. These large, old original prints are highly collectible and grace the walls of even the most upscale living rooms.
From August 17 through August 19 at Fort Mason Center’s Firehouse, original posters are on sale at the Vintage European Posters Show and Sale.
“Part of the reason that old posters are so charming is their imperative,” said Vintage European Posters owner Elizabeth Norris. “The poster artist’s goal was very simple, to leave the viewer with a smile and a positive association with a product.”
Many of the posters at the Firehouse this year are from the Art Deco and Art Nouveau eras, but also reflect work up through the 1960s. The subject matter varies — from bicycles and ships to travel and the military. Some of the most elegant playfully push brands of alcoholic spirits.
In addition to the thousand or so posters in Norris’ “trunk,” master framer Glenn Young joins the show to offer framing suggestions. For more information on the show check August 17 in the Calendar, or visit www.vepca.com.
San Francisco Chronicle - September 20, 2006
Vintage Posters, These Aren’t Your Typical Pin Ups
Hot Stuff column by Laura Thomas
Elizabeth Norris felt “opportunistic” when she realized that her desire to collect vintage
posters could be profitable since they do nothing but increase in value. But, as the proprietor
of Vintage European Posters in Oakland, she refuses to push anybody to buy.
“I want people to buy a poster because they are deeply in love with it.” She said.
Norris has been collecting and selling for more than 10 years, since she met Sarah Stocking of Fine Vintage
Posters, was drawn to a particular poster and began studying their history.
She specializes in those dating from the 1880s when stone lithograph posters hit the French scene, until
1960. With a stock of 1,200 originals, she travels to 26 shows each year on a schedule that allows her
two trips to Europe to hunt for more.
Norris is so devoted to the history of posters, that she spends most of her time educating the public.
Frenchman Jules Cheret invented translucent ink and perfected its use on etched limestone, and the color separation
technique that produced such beautiful colors.
When his advertising posters first hit the streets “people immediately began to collect them,” she
said. The craze spread through Europe and to the united States where Word War One posters were “really good.
Her repertoire includes the Belle Epoque, World War One and the art Deco and Midcentury Eras.
Posers that came later were produced by offset printing and interest her less. Most of her posters sell for
between $300 and $700. Nonetheless, she says, it’s an honor to have someone buy one of her posters.
The Fort Mason Center Monthly - August 2005
100 Years of Great Graphic Design
by Claudia Willen
Firehouse
Few Souvenirs of the past evoke earlier decades as clearly as vintage posters. This August, Vintage European Posters moves into Fort Mason Center’s Firehouse building for an expanded show of original antique posters from many countries. These colorful images show slices of what life was like in earlier times, presented in well designed tableaus, with impressive lettering.
Renowned poster artists designed many of the items on display at the sale. Vintage European Posters specializes in poster art from 1880 to 1960. Subjects run the gamut from for travel, food, and wine to military and political propaganda. The artists experimented with many styles from the striking abstract patterns of cubism and machine age motifs to the flowing forms of art nouveau.
Of particular interest for the 2005 show is a collection of bicycle posters dating from 1890 to 1910. Vintage European Posters owner Elizabeth Norris notes that the bike was “transformational technology” that changed everyday life and social standards dramatically.
“With the invention of the bike, women could leave the house alone –without a chaperone – in that way the bicycle became a symbol of free women,” said Norris.
While many of the posters in the bicycle collection focus on images of women, there are also a number of men portrayed in situations that offer insight into earlier societies.
“Cycling was originally positioned as a pastime of the upper classes” said Norris. “Gentlemen in early bicycle posters are often pictured in wool suits, peddling without breaking a sweat.”
Framing expert Glenn Young is at the show to assist with framing issues for valuable artwork. Young owns Artscapes, a museum quality custom framing business in Campbell, CA. He consults on framing and art conservation with the Cantor Center for Visual arts at Stanford University in Palo Alto, as well as other museums and arts groups. He also participated in a 2004 invitational workshop on framing at the Getty museum in Los Angles. Artscapes staff use materials and techniques accepted by the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian.
Gaze through a window on the past and learn about art conservation at the Vintage European Posters show. The expanded exhibit has extended hours this year.
Other Press
San Jose Mercury News -
January 7, 2005
Home Stuff Column
By Holly Hayes
The New York Antique Almanac - August/September/October 2006
“Art Deco to Modernism”
Antique Journal Newsmagazine - Volume 12 Number 8
August 2005
“Vintage Posters Captivate Collectors”
The Sacramento Bee - October 26th, 2006
City Section “Weekend Watch”
The Collector - June 2005
“Posters, Oakland Paper Peddler”