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Poster for General Motors' "Le Sabre" concept car (1951) attributed to Milo Martinet.
THE DIFFERENT CONDITION OF A POSTER
If a poster is appreciated for its rarity, subject, signature or age and sometimes its size, it is also appreciated by its condition, which is an important component of its value. Please find below the different conditions of the posters proposed by www.posterissim.com
New : "mint". The poster has been handled but never used and has been carefully stored. This condition generally applies to the most recent posters.
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Excellent condition : also called "condition A" or "near mint". The condition of the poster is above average even if it shows slight traces of use. The poster has no major flaws and is not missing anything. Only minor defects are accepted, such as pinholes or slight discoloration on older objects. www.posterissim mainly sells posters in this condition.
Very good condition : or "very fine". The condition of the poster is close to "excellent condition" but with some additional defects such as slight tears or more pronounced folds.
Good condition : also known as "condition B". The visual is clean but has more pronounced defects than those of the previous conditions, sometimes with traces of moisture or yellowing of the paper. These defects have been often corrected during the restoration process, followed by washing and mounting.
Fair condition : "C" (suitable condition). The condition of the poster is below average, with a multiplication of defects (missing, discoloured, scotch, damaged edges), but remains very presentable.
Poor condition : or "condition D". Poster torn into several pieces, often with significant gaps and severe discoloration. Except for exceptional documents (historical or cultural) requiring extensive restoration, www.posterissim.com does not sell posters in this condition.
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LINENBACKING OF YOUR POSTERS
1. Why put a poster on linen?
An old poster is originally rolled up or held flat. An original old poster should be preserved as well as possible in time and be easily framed.
www.posterissim.com brings to each poster a long, delicate and expensive paper conservation treatment called "linenbacking". The linenbacking protects the poster from possible damage and gives the paper a structure that gives it an optimal hold in its frame.
www.posterissim.com calls on the best specialists in this particular technique, whose know-how and experience is recognised by amateurs and collectors all over the world.
2. The technique of linenbacking
The posters are first dry-dusted with gum powder and a brush. Then they are washed with clear water in large basins to refresh the colours and remove paper tension.
The still wet poster is applied to a linen or cotton canvas (Canvas) using a starch solution. A sheet of acid-free paper (Canson) is placed in between. The poster is thus kept at a neutral ph and acid-free to stabilize its colours and protect it from oxidation (yellowing of the paper). A drying time in a dust-free environment of 1 to 2 weeks is necessary depending on the size and type of paper.
A canvas margin of 3 to 5 cm is kept to protect the perimeter of the poster.
All our linenbackings are made with neutral materials that stabilize the acidity of the poster. We use noble techniques that are totally reversible.
Without the application of this technique, the poster, even if it is not damaged, may curl within its frame, thus undermining its artistic qualities and altering its appreciation.
For all these reasons, www.posterissim.com sells mostly, unless otherwise specified, linenbacked original posters.
The folded or rolled posters, purchased on the site www.posterissim.com, can be linenbacked by us (and restored if necessary) on request and after estimate.
www.posterissim.com does not offer a canvas mounting and/or restoration service for posters that do not come from the www.posterissim.com website.
At www.posterissim.com you are thus acquiring a beautiful collector's item that will follow you over time and that you will be proud to exhibit.
THE DIFFERENT PRINTING PROCESSES AT WWW.POSTERISSIM.COM
Below you will find the different printing processes for the posters that you can find on www.posterissim.com
Lithography was invented by the German playwright Aloys Senefelder in 1796 and had its heyday in the 19th century. It is a printing technique that allows the creation and reproduction in several copies of a drawing executed with ink or pencil on a limestone and is based on the principle of repulsion of water and fat. This process makes it possible to execute high quality works in quantity. Faster and cheaper than engraving, lithography has been used very often for the reproduction of commercial documents.
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses stencils (originally silk screens) interposed between the ink and the support (paper, cardboard, textile, metal, glass...). It allows the representation of very detailed independent graphics and was popularized by Andy Warhol.
Offset is a printing process that can be considered an improvement on its ancestor, lithography: the lithographic stone is replaced by a layer (or cylinder). Currently the major process of professional printing, offset printing, makes it possible to cover a relatively wide range of print runs (beyond a few hundred thousand copies, rotogravure is preferred). This printing process provides quality products at a relatively low cost. It has many other advantages such as quick start-up, stable inking, fast drying, etc... Offset in video HERE.
Rotogravure is a technique born in the 1820s from the research of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, particularly adapted to very long print runs where a high quality of reproduction is required. A process of intaglio printing, rotogravure allows the transfer of an image on a copper plate thanks to a photosensitive gelatine. The screen is not visible, unlike halftone printing. The blacks are very deep where the ink layer is thick, while it is very thin in the lighter areas.
Digigraphy is a process for reproducing works of art created digitally on large-format inkjet printers. Label created by Epson in 2003, it concerns the reproduction of any type of artistic creation: photography, painting, collage, drawing, watercolour, digital creation... A Digigraphie is necessarily a limited edition print: it must bear a number indicating the total number of the series and the number of the print, as well as the handwritten signature of the artist and an official stamp.
The giclée is a very faithful reproduction process on inkjet printers on paper or canvas that allows a reproduction of the image in very high definition on large format digital printers. Unlike lithography, where all proofs could be considered as originals, with giclees, all proofs become reproductions.
The difference between lithography and screen printing: Lithographs and serigraphs are both flat prints. Lithography reproduces a line executed on a limestone, whereas silkscreen printing is a technique that uses silk screens between the ink and the support.
The difference between lithography and offset: Offset is one of the printing processes known as "direct", which consists of transferring the entire print directly onto the substrate. Lithography involves spreading ink on a surface, with dry and wet areas, and only the ink spread on the dry area is transferred to the substrate.
MAIN FORMATS OF MOVIE POSTERS
The formats of the original movie posters have many variations depending on the country. For the sake of clarity, only the most commonly used formats will be discussed here.
They are represented at www.posterissim.com by a pictogram (), to easily compare the size of a poster to the size of a man.
French movie posters
Very large formats : these formats are discontinued today.
a) Giant: 158 X 118 inches ('') or 400 X 300 centimeters ("cm"), intended for the subway.
b) 4 panels: 94 X 125'' (240 X 320 cm).
c) 2 panels: 94 X 63'' (240 X 160 cm).
Large format (the reference format for French movie posters) : 47 X 63'' (120 X 160 cm).
Small current format: 23 X 32'' (60 X 80 cm) until the 80's then 15 X 21'' (40 X 60 cm) thereafter.
Pant size (for cinema doors and Morris columns): 23 X 63'' (60 X 160 cm).
American movie posters
US One Sheet (most common format): 27 X 41'' (69 X 104 cm). Single or Double-sided ("DS").
US Half sheet: 22 X 28'' (55 X 71 cm).
US 3 sheets: 41 X 81'' (104 X 205 cm).
Italian movie posters
2 fogli (most common format): 39 X 55'' (100 X 140 cm).
4 fogli: 55 X 78'' (140 X 200 cm).
Locandina: 13 X 27'' (33 X 69 cm).
Japanese movie posters
B2 (most common format): 20 X 29'' (51 X 74 cm).
B3 (Nakazuri): 14 X 20'' (35 X 50 cm). Double-sided.
Belgian movie posters
14 X 22" (35 X 55 cm). The most common format in Belgium.
Movie posters from other countries
Daybill (Australia): 13 X 30" (33 X 76 cm). Most common format.
One sheet (Poland): 27 X 40" (69 X 101 cm).
British Quad (UK): 30 X 40" (76 X 101 cm). The most common format, with the particularity of being horizontal.
Double Crown (UK): 20 X 30" (50 X 76 cm).
Czech Republic and Germany: 23 X 33'' (58 X 83 cm). Standard size.
Alternative movie posters
Small: 18 X 24" (46 X 61 cm).
Normal: 24 X 36" (61 X 91 cm). Most common format.
Out-of-Stock
Other version(s) available
1932 - Pierre Rayez (1896-1969)
1930 - Noël Fontanet
1927 - M.Sauvage
1902 - Henri Privat-Livemont
In the early 1950s, the American automobile industry embodied the technological optimism of the post-war era. Major manufacturers competed in imagination and innovation to present their vision of the future of mobility.
Within this context, General Motors developed several experimental concept cars—true laboratories of style and technology designed to anticipate the shapes and innovations of future automobiles.
The Le Sabre, introduced in 1951, stands as one of the most emblematic prototypes of this period. Designed under the direction of visionary automotive designer Harley J. Earl, it symbolizes the growing influence of aeronautics and the emerging space age on automotive design.
The poster announces the exceptional presentation of this vehicle during an exhibition organized by General Motors Continental in Antwerp, Belgium. Promotional events of this kind allowed American manufacturers to showcase their futuristic vision of the automobile to European audiences.
The slogan “The Car of the Year 2000” perfectly illustrates the forward-looking imagination of the 1950s—a period when the future was envisioned as a world of vertical cities, advanced technologies, and vehicles inspired by jet aircraft.
The poster’s illustration belongs to the retro-futurist movement of the 1950s, characterized by an optimistic and stylized representation of the future.
Several visual elements express this aesthetic.
The city depicted is composed of slender skyscrapers with rounded lines reminiscent of Streamline Moderne and late Art Deco architecture. Some circular structures evoke space stations or aerial platforms imagined in the science fiction of the era.
The planets visible in the sky and shapes reminiscent of flying saucers reflect the growing influence of space imagery at a time marked by early aeronautical experimentation and a fascination with space exploration.
The car itself features streamlined forms inspired by jet aircraft. Its sculpted volumes, chrome details, and metallic finish enhance the sense of speed and modernity.
The dramatic perspective and dynamic staging place the vehicle prominently in the foreground, emphasizing its central role within this vision of the future.
The Le Sabre represents a pivotal moment in the history of automotive design:
it introduced several stylistic innovations that would influence American cars throughout the 1950s and 1960s
it illustrates General Motors’ strategy of using concept cars as tools for communication and technological forecasting
it contributed to the diffusion of the retro-futurist aesthetic, now highly sought after by collectors
Promotional posters associated with such exhibitions are relatively rare today, as they were generally printed for temporary and local promotional use, which makes surviving examples particularly desirable for collectors of vintage automotive advertising and mid-century design.
1982 - Andy Warhol
1947 - Félix Labisse
1928 - Roger Soubie
1981 - Yamaha
