Vintage Cambridge travel poster to go on sale in the US

Swann Auction Galleries in New York City is to auction quite a rare vintage Cambridge travel poster as part of its Rare & Important Travel Posters Auction on October 25.

Nicholas D Lowry, president of Swann Auction Galleries and an expert in prints and posters, said: “These posters were produced by the railway companies to promote travel on the British rail system. We’ve sold other Cambridge posters before, but different views. This one we have not had before, so it is certainly not common.”

Born in America to Czech parents, Nicholas attended The Leys School for a year, in the Upper Sixth, and still has a lot of friends in and around Cambridge.

“Our clients are not necessarily New Yorkers, or Americans, with a penchant for all-things British,” he explained. “But in the world of things that appeal to Americans, or foreign buyers, certainly Cambridge is an institution that holds tremendous mystique, if not appeal.”

Nicholas says that the poster, by artist Fred Taylor, is estimated to fetch around 500 to 750 dollars. “It’s not expensive, and one of the great things about posters is that they are very accessible to many more people – as opposed to works by Banksy that are over a million pounds, or old masters that sell for 400 million dollars,” he noted.

Interestingly, the well-dressed appraiser reveals that posters with people in are generally more valuable. On the ongoing popularity of vintage travel posters, he said: “The golden age of travel has always been something that’s been very romanticised – they don’t make things like this anymore. They are beautiful to behold.

“Over the last 10 years, interest in – and understanding and knowledge of – these kind of vintage posters has been growing exponentially.”

swanngalleries.com