Jen Marshall, Cataloguer
Date: 11th August 2022
Collecting can be a very personal pursuit. We each have a sense of what is beautiful and valuable. But sometimes, there are items that have universal appeal. Or in this case, there is a very compelling appeal to Australian audiences.
The posters I’ll introduce in this post arrived at Sydney Rare Book Auctions just a short time ago, and our founder and owner Paul Feain was immediately convinced of their value.
“The posters are rare and beautiful,” he said.
Paul passed the posters to me and I thought they were stunning, and they were immediately catalogued for the next Auction Firsts, History, Tourism and more 81, this Friday 12th of August, 2022.
And Ellie Aroney, cataloguer and auctioneer, also had an important view, since she is the expert in visual arts at Sydney Rare Book Auctions:
“Vivid as the day they were printed and unusual to see these in such good condition.”
So, they’re certainly worth a look…
There are two posters featuring the art of James Northfield. According to Culture Victoria, “Northfield was among the most highly regarded poster designers working in Australia in the early-to-mid 20th century”.
James Northfield specialised in lithographic prints, after extensive training and his use of colour and panoramas have endured and remain intrinsically attractive today. Michelle Hetherington has produced the most comprehensive record of his work in James Northfield and the art of selling Australia.
Please see: Lot 692: POSTER: JAMES NORTHFIELD, TASMANIA
And: Lot 689: POSTER: JAMES NORTHFIELD, TASMANIA
Both posters provide a lovely example of retro design and convey the notion of Tasmania as the ‘Sanatorium of the South’, a theme which has been consistently used in travel advertising for Tasmania. It continues even today with the “Come Down for Air” campaign.
In addition, there are two more prints, from the artists Harry Kelly and Max Angus.
Lot 691: POSTER: HARRY KELLY, TASMANIA
Harry Kelly designed at least five posters for the Tasmanian Government Tourist Bureau, featuring landscapes and fishing. His most famous was Tamsmania, the Switzerland of the South. He also created several wartime posters, including “We are fighting Tojo, not each other” which was to communicate the importance of preserving ammunition to civilian munition workers.
Lot 690: POSTER: MAX ANGUS, TASMANIA
Max Angus was prolific in his depiction of Tasmanian landscapes in watercolour.
“This island we live in has got so many wonderful subjects you’d never run out of it and you feel younger while you’re working,” he once said.
Back when these posters were produced, there was no television, so travel posters had an important role to play in selling destinations to travellers. The posters needed to convey a sense of magical experience and safety, in order to secure bookings from the desired audience. This is why the artwork remains so impactful today and these items will certainly create magical moments for their future owner.