“Winter Delights” At International Poster Gallery

Nov. 30, 2009 - PRLog -- BOSTON – International Poster Gallery announces its 16th annual holiday poster show “Winter Delights”. Now a Newbury Street holiday tradition, the show features a wide variety of original vintage posters and smaller graphics, with designs running the gamut of both price and personal taste. The exhibition runs December 1 - January 16, 2008. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday noon to 6 pm. The Gallery is located at 205 Newbury Street in Boston. Call (617) 375-0076 or visit www.internationalposter.com

The holiday show focuses on the joys of the holiday season, including winter sports, entertainment, shopping and food and spirits. Highlighting the exhibition is an impressive collection of 20 rarely seen Zermatt posters. Virtually all of them reveal the striking crooked finger of the Matterhorn, one of the most iconic mountain in the world. The selection spans more than 80 years, including Eric Hermes 1935 sun-bathed masterpiece Zermatt and Herbert Matter’s 1935 pioneering photomontage poster Pontresina, one of the most sought after posters in this expansive genre. In addition, ski posters from France, Austria, Germany and the US round out several classics from Swiss resorts such as Grindelwald, Davos, and St. Moritz.

Holiday style is seen in several fashion posters from around the globe. This section is paced by Leonetto Cappiello’s 1903 design for the pioneering Neapolitan department store, Mele. The Novita Per Signora ("new fashions for women") is alive with excitement as the formally clad couple head out for a night on the town. The figures on this large format poster (55 x 77 inches) stand out on a rich, dark green background. Cappiello designed four posters for Mele and they are among the most spectacular of the era.


Another stunning fashion poster is a 1924 design by Federico Ribas for Bally, which shows a flapper shimmering in her elegant silk dress and high-heels. The design, one of three that Ribas produced for Bally, is a rare example of the infusion of Spanish style into Swiss poster art. Printed by the notable lithographer Wolfsberg, this poster embodies the extravagant sensibilities of the Roaring Twenties.

A final theme of food and entertainment is evidenced in August Fischinger’s stylish Modernist masterpiece for piano manufacturer Hofbauer. The Vienna Secession played a pioneering role in the movement away from Art Nouveau’s flowing lines, replacing them with more geometric and rectilinear design. Following this convention, the design features a juxtaposition of striped wallpaper, a pin-striped shirt and black and white piano keys. The pianist’s skillful and delicate touch reinforces the Hofbauer brand, which was famous for its unique construction and light action.

International Poster Gallery also offers more than 1,000 small graphics, many of which are already framed. These smaller works are ideal for kitchens, hallways, powder rooms and bar areas where a unique and thematic touch of design is needed. This diverse category includes not only small posters, but also rare vintage luggage labels, 19th Century French cabaret programs and tickets, magazine advertisements and more.

# # #

About International Poster Gallery
In addition to gallery shows and special exhibitions, IPG’s award-winning website, www.internationalposter.com offers the largest, most comprehensive online collection of vintage advertising posters in the world. Originally launched in 1998, the site contains nearly 4,500 images accessible through a powerful search engine.