Poster Fair: Glimpses of Other Times, Other Places

   An exclusive exhibit of Toulouse-Lautrec posters and three lectures will highlight the fourth annual International Vintage Poster Fair (IVPF) at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 25 to 27.
   Sponsored this year by Wine Spectator, the fair will offer lectures for the first time. Gary Bruder will speak on Toulouse-Lautrec, Richard Barclay on “The Golden Era of British Travel Posters” and Jim Lapidus on Avant-Garde posters (1920-1940).
   An opening night benefit preview will honor the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego Chapters.
   The IVPF is the largest show of authentic vintage posters in Southern California. Poster themes range from exotic travel to obscure movies, from circuses to Art Nouveau and Art Deco; from world wars to brand names.
   The first posters were advertisements. Most of posters printed before World War II were lithographs printed on zinc or copper plates, with only a few done in stone lithography. Lithographic posters have a rich solid color, while photo-offset posters, which became much more common after WW2, show a regular dot pattern under a magnifying glass.
   The 10,000 vetted vintage posters to be shown at the fair this weekend come from all over the world. Prices range from $100 to $100,000, with the average price ranging from $300 to $2,500.
   The Civic Auditorium is located at1855 Main Street. The Fair’s opening night preview will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the lectures scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with lectures beginning at 10 a.m.
   Tickets for the Friday night benefit are $25, which includes admission on either Saturday or Sunday. Saturday and Sunday tickets are $10 for one day or $15 for both days.
   For more information, call Poster America (800) 856.8069