Poster
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Apple Computer
See also : Apple Computer
1891 Moulin Rouge by Lautrec
2014 SOLD for $ 390K by Sotheby's
The poster designed in 1891 by Toulouse-Lautrec for the Moulin Rouge is a masterpiece of the illustration for shows and entertainment, anticipating the subtlety of the movie posters of the following century.
Founded two years before, the famous Parisian cabaret wished to display its dynamism. The picture is perfect, with the tall serious guy in the foreground, the cancan dancing girl on the ring and the tight and joyful crowd as backdrop silhouettes.
The actress is named in the title : she is La Goulue. The slumming bourgeois is a local celebrity of Montmartre known by the nickname Valentin le Désossé.
The poster was first edited in large size, 189 x 114 cm in three joined sheets. A highly rare copy of the first version was sold for $ 390K from a lower estimate of $ 325K by Sotheby's on October 30, 2014, lot 175.
This advertising image was an immediate success that called for a second version of the same format, also in three sheets. The drawing is unchanged, but an additional text is inserted in the lower part to announce masked balls twice a week.
A copy of that second state, also very rare, was sold for $ 300K by Swann on December 17, 2008.
Founded two years before, the famous Parisian cabaret wished to display its dynamism. The picture is perfect, with the tall serious guy in the foreground, the cancan dancing girl on the ring and the tight and joyful crowd as backdrop silhouettes.
The actress is named in the title : she is La Goulue. The slumming bourgeois is a local celebrity of Montmartre known by the nickname Valentin le Désossé.
The poster was first edited in large size, 189 x 114 cm in three joined sheets. A highly rare copy of the first version was sold for $ 390K from a lower estimate of $ 325K by Sotheby's on October 30, 2014, lot 175.
This advertising image was an immediate success that called for a second version of the same format, also in three sheets. The drawing is unchanged, but an additional text is inserted in the lower part to announce masked balls twice a week.
A copy of that second state, also very rare, was sold for $ 300K by Swann on December 17, 2008.
bankruptcy lot including 1927 Metropolis
2012 SOLD for $ 1.2M by the US Bankruptcy Court
Released in 1927, Metropolis is the last of the great silent films. It inaugurates a narrative genre that will make the glory of cinema. Reminding the importance of that date: the Jazz Singer, which was the first musical film, was released in the same year.
The international poster for Metropolis, designed by Heinz Schulz-Neudamm, has survived in only four copies. In a typical Art Deco perspective, it expresses the power of the robot woman.
One of the four copies was purchased in 2005 in a private sale by a collector for $ 690K. Too ambitious, he was unable to repay a loan.
Nine pieces, movie posters and paintings, among the most important items of his collection are grouped as a single lot, with a starting price of $ 700K covered in advance by a buyer, in a court-ordered sale held on December 13, 2012 in Los Angeles by the United States Bankruptcy Court.
The poster for Metropolis is illustrated in the article by Hollywood Reporter. Another element of the lot was a 1933 three sheet poster of King Kong. This lot was sold for $ 1.2M. The Notice of sale indicated that the additional expense would not exceed $ 10K.
An auction of two seized artworks related to the 1MDB corruption scandal was held by Gaston and Sheehan on February 18, 2021. The 1927 Metropolis poster was sold for $ 1.13M, with the 2021 US Marshals Service Annual Report referring it as the example narrated above.
The international poster for Metropolis, designed by Heinz Schulz-Neudamm, has survived in only four copies. In a typical Art Deco perspective, it expresses the power of the robot woman.
One of the four copies was purchased in 2005 in a private sale by a collector for $ 690K. Too ambitious, he was unable to repay a loan.
Nine pieces, movie posters and paintings, among the most important items of his collection are grouped as a single lot, with a starting price of $ 700K covered in advance by a buyer, in a court-ordered sale held on December 13, 2012 in Los Angeles by the United States Bankruptcy Court.
The poster for Metropolis is illustrated in the article by Hollywood Reporter. Another element of the lot was a 1933 three sheet poster of King Kong. This lot was sold for $ 1.2M. The Notice of sale indicated that the additional expense would not exceed $ 10K.
An auction of two seized artworks related to the 1MDB corruption scandal was held by Gaston and Sheehan on February 18, 2021. The 1927 Metropolis poster was sold for $ 1.13M, with the 2021 US Marshals Service Annual Report referring it as the example narrated above.
1927 London after Midnight
2014 SOLD for $ 480K by Heritage
London after Midnight is an author's film, written, directed and co-produced by Tod Browning in 1927. It is above all an actor's film in which Lon Chaney, nicknamed the Man of a Thousand Faces, strives to arouse horror in a wide variety of compositions.
The storyline is inconsistent, but the scene in which Chaney prepares his vampire makeup for the purposes of his police investigation could have featured in the best anthologies of the seventh art. The film is unfortunately lost : the last copy was destroyed in a fire in 1965.
In the days of silent films, posters were used only for the programming in theaters. The only known copy of the color poster for the release by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer of London after Midnight surfaced 87 years later. Printed in lithograph on a One Sheet 70 x 105 cm, it had been carefully preserved and is graded Folded Very Fine +.
Chaney appears hilarious in the half-light behind Marceline Day in full light. He has the attributes of his signature scene : the beaver hat, shaggy white hair, eyes held in a hypnotic position by a prosthesis, the mouth widely opening onto the two rows of sharp teeth, the clawed fingers. The image is complemented in its lower part by a night scenery of the Thames under London Bridge.
This unique piece was sold by Heritage on November 22-23, 2014 for $ 480K from a lower estimate of $ 80K, lot 86316. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The storyline is inconsistent, but the scene in which Chaney prepares his vampire makeup for the purposes of his police investigation could have featured in the best anthologies of the seventh art. The film is unfortunately lost : the last copy was destroyed in a fire in 1965.
In the days of silent films, posters were used only for the programming in theaters. The only known copy of the color poster for the release by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer of London after Midnight surfaced 87 years later. Printed in lithograph on a One Sheet 70 x 105 cm, it had been carefully preserved and is graded Folded Very Fine +.
Chaney appears hilarious in the half-light behind Marceline Day in full light. He has the attributes of his signature scene : the beaver hat, shaggy white hair, eyes held in a hypnotic position by a prosthesis, the mouth widely opening onto the two rows of sharp teeth, the clawed fingers. The image is complemented in its lower part by a night scenery of the Thames under London Bridge.
This unique piece was sold by Heritage on November 22-23, 2014 for $ 480K from a lower estimate of $ 80K, lot 86316. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1931 Dracula
2017 SOLD for $ 525K by Heritage
A stage actor in Broadway with a limited cinema experience, Bela Lugosi finds in 1927 the role that suits his atypical personality matching his origin in current day western Romania : Dracula. He displays a terrifying performance with his hypnotizing gaze, his extended arms and his long fingers that are easy to make crooked. He does not even need a make up.
His success on stage helps him to obtain in 1931 the title role of the Dracula film presented by Carl Laemmle for Universal Pictures. Sound movie is still in an early phase. Lugosi's loud voice with a terrible Eastern European accent was undoubtedly important for the attribution of the role to him.
Posters had then a growing place in movie marketing. Four single-sheet types identified retroactively as Styles A, B, C, and F are printed for Dracula's first release. The images are very different from each other. A poster of the Style F terror scene was sold for $ 310K by Heritage in March 2009. This type is known in three copies.
Style A is a close-up portrait of Lugosi. All the fascination is in the eyes. This beautiful image 68 x 104 cm without fantastic element might not have all the features to appeal the public. It is known in only two copies. One of them recently discovered was sold for $ 525K from a lower estimate of $ 150K by Heritage on November 18, 2017, lot 86267. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Universal's horror films were highly successful in 1931. A three-leaf poster for their Frankenstein was sold for $ 360K by Heritage on March 28, 2015, lot 86187.
His success on stage helps him to obtain in 1931 the title role of the Dracula film presented by Carl Laemmle for Universal Pictures. Sound movie is still in an early phase. Lugosi's loud voice with a terrible Eastern European accent was undoubtedly important for the attribution of the role to him.
Posters had then a growing place in movie marketing. Four single-sheet types identified retroactively as Styles A, B, C, and F are printed for Dracula's first release. The images are very different from each other. A poster of the Style F terror scene was sold for $ 310K by Heritage in March 2009. This type is known in three copies.
Style A is a close-up portrait of Lugosi. All the fascination is in the eyes. This beautiful image 68 x 104 cm without fantastic element might not have all the features to appeal the public. It is known in only two copies. One of them recently discovered was sold for $ 525K from a lower estimate of $ 150K by Heritage on November 18, 2017, lot 86267. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Universal's horror films were highly successful in 1931. A three-leaf poster for their Frankenstein was sold for $ 360K by Heritage on March 28, 2015, lot 86187.
1932 The Mummy
1997 SOLD for $ 450K by Sotheby's
The audience of the 1930s loves the new movie monsters. In 1932 Universal Pictures and its producer Carl Laemmle perfectly master this new theme. To do even better (or worse, according to one's taste), the new film will be inspired by the curse of Tutankhamun. Karloff is famous for his making up in Frankenstein. He will play a mummy with a similar mixing of horror and emotion.
To promote this movie titled The Mummy, posters must shock. With the experience acquired in Dracula and Frankenstein, Universal excels in this new art. The crossed arms of the mummy are tight against its chest but the text announces that it comes to life. The ravaged face of Karloff here nicknamed The Uncanny is barely recognizable.
The original American poster of this film is a 104 x 69 cm one-sheet lithographic print on thin wove paper. Three examples survive.
One of these posters remains in a condition of splendid freshness, unbacked and framed. It was sold for $ 450K by Sotheby's on March 1, 1997, a great price for a movie poster at that time. It passed at Sotheby's on Halloween day, October 31, 2018, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Response by Grok :
Quote Sotheby's @Sothebys Oct 11, 2018 2:20
Get a first look at one of the most highly-coveted film posters in existence: an original 1932 film poster for the horror classic The Mummy. On offer in a single-lot online-only auction, bidding is open now through Halloween! https://bit.ly/2C9wvGH
To promote this movie titled The Mummy, posters must shock. With the experience acquired in Dracula and Frankenstein, Universal excels in this new art. The crossed arms of the mummy are tight against its chest but the text announces that it comes to life. The ravaged face of Karloff here nicknamed The Uncanny is barely recognizable.
The original American poster of this film is a 104 x 69 cm one-sheet lithographic print on thin wove paper. Three examples survive.
One of these posters remains in a condition of splendid freshness, unbacked and framed. It was sold for $ 450K by Sotheby's on March 1, 1997, a great price for a movie poster at that time. It passed at Sotheby's on Halloween day, October 31, 2018, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Response by Grok :
Quote Sotheby's @Sothebys Oct 11, 2018 2:20
Get a first look at one of the most highly-coveted film posters in existence: an original 1932 film poster for the horror classic The Mummy. On offer in a single-lot online-only auction, bidding is open now through Halloween! https://bit.ly/2C9wvGH
- The X post from Sotheby's advertises a rare 1932 film poster for "The Mummy," a horror classic starring Boris Karloff, highlighting its significance as one of only three known examples and its role in the "Golden Age of Horror" at Universal Studios.
- The poster, designed by Karoly Grosz, exemplifies early 20th-century graphic design with its vivid colors and dynamic composition, and it was exclusively created for theatrical promotion, never intended for public distribution, making it exceptionally rare.
- This auction, closing on Halloween 2018, underscores the cultural and historical value of the poster, as "The Mummy" not only set a template for future horror films but also influenced modern remakes and reboots, reflecting its enduring impact on the genre.
1933 King Kong
2012 SOLD for $ 390K by Heritage
Released at the cinema in 1933, King Kong is a sensational film by its characters, its adventures and its special effects. The best known poster, Style A, shows the gorilla emerging like a gigantic ghost beyond the theater stage.
The Style B poster is much rarer. While Style A showcases the power of the monster, Style B expresses an unsurpassed aggressiveness : Kong shows in profile his terrible fangs while holding the unconscious beauty queen in his elbow. It also includes in secondary images Kong's struggle against a dinosaur and the skyscrapers of New York.
Two copies of Style B in 100 x 200 cm format from three assembled sheets were sold by Heritage. Both are in Very Fine + condition.
One of them was mounted on a gray-blue linen which was in use in Europe at that time. It was sold for $ 390K on November 30, 2012, lot 83252. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The other copy, also mounted on linen, was sold for $ 336K on November 21, 2020, lot 86182.
Wikimedia indicates that this artwork is in the public domain because it had not been copyrighted.
The Style B poster is much rarer. While Style A showcases the power of the monster, Style B expresses an unsurpassed aggressiveness : Kong shows in profile his terrible fangs while holding the unconscious beauty queen in his elbow. It also includes in secondary images Kong's struggle against a dinosaur and the skyscrapers of New York.
Two copies of Style B in 100 x 200 cm format from three assembled sheets were sold by Heritage. Both are in Very Fine + condition.
One of them was mounted on a gray-blue linen which was in use in Europe at that time. It was sold for $ 390K on November 30, 2012, lot 83252. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The other copy, also mounted on linen, was sold for $ 336K on November 21, 2020, lot 86182.
Wikimedia indicates that this artwork is in the public domain because it had not been copyrighted.
1942 Casablanca
2020 SOLD for $ 384K by Heritage
Casablanca was released in 1942. The Warner Brothers film, mixing love and action, pleased audiences and launched or confirmed the stardom of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. The iconography of the posters is of a great variety.
Advertising now needs large formats, which are often kept on linen. One of the larger ones is in six sheets for a total size of 205 x 205 cm. It was made to announce a program in the theaters and surviving copies are extremely rare.
The romantic couple occupy the main position, underlined by a string of secondary characters. The image sharpness is excellent and the colors are bright.
The original drawing has a special characteristics. The title Casablanca appears in red, at an angle in the lower part. It is inserted between a red and a white quotation marks. Perhaps this is not a mistake : the white mark is very well pairing with the collar and shoulder pads of the German officer.
A copy in VF- condition with both original marks was sold for $ 108K by Heritage on March 24, 2013. A copy in Very Fine condition whose right mark was airbrushed in red during a restoration was sold for $ 384K from a lower estimate of $ 150K by Heritage on November 21, 2020, lot 86087.
The release of the film in other countries brings other examples of large format with other images. An Italian poster printed in 1946, 140 x 200 cm in three sheets, was sold for $ 480K by Heritage in 2017. A French poster 118 x 160 cm printed in 1947 was sold for $ 240K by Heritage on November 19, 2017.
Advertising now needs large formats, which are often kept on linen. One of the larger ones is in six sheets for a total size of 205 x 205 cm. It was made to announce a program in the theaters and surviving copies are extremely rare.
The romantic couple occupy the main position, underlined by a string of secondary characters. The image sharpness is excellent and the colors are bright.
The original drawing has a special characteristics. The title Casablanca appears in red, at an angle in the lower part. It is inserted between a red and a white quotation marks. Perhaps this is not a mistake : the white mark is very well pairing with the collar and shoulder pads of the German officer.
A copy in VF- condition with both original marks was sold for $ 108K by Heritage on March 24, 2013. A copy in Very Fine condition whose right mark was airbrushed in red during a restoration was sold for $ 384K from a lower estimate of $ 150K by Heritage on November 21, 2020, lot 86087.
The release of the film in other countries brings other examples of large format with other images. An Italian poster printed in 1946, 140 x 200 cm in three sheets, was sold for $ 480K by Heritage in 2017. A French poster 118 x 160 cm printed in 1947 was sold for $ 240K by Heritage on November 19, 2017.
1946 Italian poster for Casablanca
2017 SOLD for $ 480K by Heritage
After the war, the Italian illustrator Luigi Martinati and his associates Ballester and Capitani specialize in the design of posters for American films in an original art that does not copy the American posters.
Although such works are ephemeral by nature, Martinati creates posters of high quality. He shows the stars in close-up with an expressive realism. Moviegoers appreciate this believable truth without complacency that does not erase the imperfections of the faces and the dark circles under the eyes.
Released in 1942 in the United States, Casablanca produced by Warner Bros. meets the new expectations of the public by mixing suspense and emotion within a contemporary story. Spectators recognize their own hopes and uncertainties in the starring couple played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Casablanca is finally released in Italy in 1946. The numerous posters realized by Martinati for this movie are considered as his masterpieces. On July 29, 2017, Heritage sold for $ 480K from a lower estimate of $ 180K a poster on linen of large format 140 x 200 cm 4-fogli in fine to very fine condition which is the only known copy in its variant, lot 86354.
Although such works are ephemeral by nature, Martinati creates posters of high quality. He shows the stars in close-up with an expressive realism. Moviegoers appreciate this believable truth without complacency that does not erase the imperfections of the faces and the dark circles under the eyes.
Released in 1942 in the United States, Casablanca produced by Warner Bros. meets the new expectations of the public by mixing suspense and emotion within a contemporary story. Spectators recognize their own hopes and uncertainties in the starring couple played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Casablanca is finally released in Italy in 1946. The numerous posters realized by Martinati for this movie are considered as his masterpieces. On July 29, 2017, Heritage sold for $ 480K from a lower estimate of $ 180K a poster on linen of large format 140 x 200 cm 4-fogli in fine to very fine condition which is the only known copy in its variant, lot 86354.
1959 Winter Dance Party with Buddy Holly
2026 SOLD for $ 460K by Christie's
The singer and songwriter Buddy Holly was beside Elvis Presley one of the pioneers of rock and roll. He started with his band named The Crickets the traditional rock and roll lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums.
He operated in January and February 1959 a tour referred as the Winter Dance Party, accompanied by The Crickets, Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens while a part of the show was entrusted to Dion and The Belmonts.
An advertising window card 35 x 55 cm was prepared for the whole. The upper part could be left blank to write the date, show times and venue of the local concerts. The four leading faces are displayed in small oval photos, including Buddy's signature round glass spectacles. The leading songs are identified.
The 12th stop was scheduled at Moorhead, Minnesota on February 3. The three lead musicians did not reach it. Their four seat aircraft had crashed in bad weather and they were killed as was also the pilot. The Moorhead show was operated by a teenager who knew all the songs and the subsequent stops were managed by The Crickets.
Only one Moorhead copy of the card survives, indicating the attributes of the party in red pencil. It had fallen from a telephone pole on which it was affixed and has not been cleaned of the sticky residue. It was sold for $ 450K by Heritage on November 11, 2022, lot 89029. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. It was sold for $ 460K by Christie's on March 12, 2026, lot 1 in the sale of the Jim Irsay collection.
No blank copy has survived. A copy fully printed for a previous teen age special party was sold for $ 125K by Heritage on April 4, 2020, lot 89140. It had been pulled off the wall by a teenager as she filed out of the ballroom after the last song.
The phrase "The Day the Music Died" refers to February 3, 1959, when a tragic small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three pioneering rock and roll stars: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, along with the pilot. The musicians were en route from Mason City, Iowa, to the next stop on the grueling Winter Dance Party tour—a 24-city Midwestern tour in harsh winter conditions—when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza crashed shortly after takeoff due to poor weather and pilot error.
This event is widely regarded as a pivotal, tragic turning point in early rock and roll history. It marked the sudden loss of some of the genre's most promising and innovative talents at the peak of their early careers:
The specific poster in question is a rare, original concert poster (approximately 22 x 14 inches, boxing-style design) advertising the Winter Dance Party stop at the Moorhead Armory in Moorhead, Minnesota, scheduled for February 3, 1959 (with shows at 7:30 and 9:30 PM). It prominently features Buddy Holly & the Crickets as headliners, alongside other acts.
This poster is believed to be the only known surviving example from that specific date's concert—the show that never happened because of the crash earlier that morning (or late the previous night). Most posters from the tour were likely discarded or destroyed, making this an extraordinarily rare artifact. It directly ties to the tragedy: the musicians died trying to reach this very performance to avoid the tour's brutal bus travel.
Its significance in rock and roll (and broader Americana/pop culture) history is immense:
This poster isn't just memorabilia—it's a haunting memento of a day that forever altered the trajectory of rock and roll.
He operated in January and February 1959 a tour referred as the Winter Dance Party, accompanied by The Crickets, Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens while a part of the show was entrusted to Dion and The Belmonts.
An advertising window card 35 x 55 cm was prepared for the whole. The upper part could be left blank to write the date, show times and venue of the local concerts. The four leading faces are displayed in small oval photos, including Buddy's signature round glass spectacles. The leading songs are identified.
The 12th stop was scheduled at Moorhead, Minnesota on February 3. The three lead musicians did not reach it. Their four seat aircraft had crashed in bad weather and they were killed as was also the pilot. The Moorhead show was operated by a teenager who knew all the songs and the subsequent stops were managed by The Crickets.
Only one Moorhead copy of the card survives, indicating the attributes of the party in red pencil. It had fallen from a telephone pole on which it was affixed and has not been cleaned of the sticky residue. It was sold for $ 450K by Heritage on November 11, 2022, lot 89029. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. It was sold for $ 460K by Christie's on March 12, 2026, lot 1 in the sale of the Jim Irsay collection.
No blank copy has survived. A copy fully printed for a previous teen age special party was sold for $ 125K by Heritage on April 4, 2020, lot 89140. It had been pulled off the wall by a teenager as she filed out of the ballroom after the last song.
The phrase "The Day the Music Died" refers to February 3, 1959, when a tragic small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three pioneering rock and roll stars: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, along with the pilot. The musicians were en route from Mason City, Iowa, to the next stop on the grueling Winter Dance Party tour—a 24-city Midwestern tour in harsh winter conditions—when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza crashed shortly after takeoff due to poor weather and pilot error.
This event is widely regarded as a pivotal, tragic turning point in early rock and roll history. It marked the sudden loss of some of the genre's most promising and innovative talents at the peak of their early careers:
- Buddy Holly, with his hits like "That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," and "Rave On," was a groundbreaking figure who blended rockabilly, pop, and R&B, influencing countless artists (including The Beatles, who named themselves partly after his band The Crickets, and Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, etc.).
- Ritchie Valens brought Latin-infused rock with "La Bamba."
- The Big Bopper contributed novelty hits like "Chantilly Lace."
The specific poster in question is a rare, original concert poster (approximately 22 x 14 inches, boxing-style design) advertising the Winter Dance Party stop at the Moorhead Armory in Moorhead, Minnesota, scheduled for February 3, 1959 (with shows at 7:30 and 9:30 PM). It prominently features Buddy Holly & the Crickets as headliners, alongside other acts.
This poster is believed to be the only known surviving example from that specific date's concert—the show that never happened because of the crash earlier that morning (or late the previous night). Most posters from the tour were likely discarded or destroyed, making this an extraordinarily rare artifact. It directly ties to the tragedy: the musicians died trying to reach this very performance to avoid the tour's brutal bus travel.
Its significance in rock and roll (and broader Americana/pop culture) history is immense:
- It serves as a tangible relic of the exact moment "the music died."
- It represents one of the most poignant symbols of early rock's fragility and the genre's first major loss.
- Auction records underscore this: In November 2022, it sold at Heritage Auctions in Dallas (lot 89029) for $447,000, setting a world record for the most expensive concert poster ever sold at the time (surpassing prior records for items like Beatles posters).
This poster isn't just memorabilia—it's a haunting memento of a day that forever altered the trajectory of rock and roll.
1977 Apple Computer poster
2026 SOLD for $ 660K by RR Auction
ex Jobs Apple Computer company poster, sold for $ 660K from an estimate of $5,000+ at RR Auction on January 29, 2026, lot 6014. Textual description, and size. Define position in Apple's timeline.
The Steve Jobs's Personally-Owned 1977 Apple Computer Inc. Poster (Lot 6014 in RR Auction's "Steve Jobs & the Computer Revolution: The Apple 50th Anniversary Auction," closing January 29, 2026) is a rare vintage promotional poster from Apple's earliest days as a funded company. It sold for $527,920 (well above the $5,000+ estimate), reflecting its provenance: it was personally owned by Steve Jobs and hung in his family's living room at the Los Altos home (where the garage served as Apple's original headquarters and production space).
Textual description: This circa 1977 poster measures 16 x 20 inches and promotes "Apple Computer Inc." shortly after the company secured significant funding (notably Mike Markkula's $250,000 investment in early 1977, which enabled incorporation, hiring, and scaling production beyond the garage). It features early Apple branding, likely including the original rainbow-striped Apple logo (introduced in 1977 with the Apple II era), company name styling as "Apple Computer Inc.," and promotional text emphasizing the revolutionary personal computer vision—positioning Apple as an innovative startup making computing accessible. Such posters were produced in limited quantities for trade shows, dealer displays, internal use, or promotional distribution during the transition from the Apple-1 (sold as bare boards in 1976) to the more professional Apple II launch.
Its significance lies in its extreme rarity as one of the earliest known Apple promotional posters—created in the window between the company's informal startup phase and its formal corporate identity. Unlike later mass-produced posters (e.g., the 1980 "Apple Personal Computers" or "Think" variants), this one captures the raw, bootstrapped excitement of 1977, when Apple was still a tiny operation but poised for explosive growth with the Apple II's debut at the West Coast Computer Faire in April 1977. Its personal association with Jobs (displayed in the family home alongside garage prototypes and early inventory) adds intimate provenance, making it a tangible link to the domestic origins of the company.
In Apple's timeline, this poster dates to early-to-mid 1977 (circa post-January 3, 1977 incorporation):
The Steve Jobs's Personally-Owned 1977 Apple Computer Inc. Poster (Lot 6014 in RR Auction's "Steve Jobs & the Computer Revolution: The Apple 50th Anniversary Auction," closing January 29, 2026) is a rare vintage promotional poster from Apple's earliest days as a funded company. It sold for $527,920 (well above the $5,000+ estimate), reflecting its provenance: it was personally owned by Steve Jobs and hung in his family's living room at the Los Altos home (where the garage served as Apple's original headquarters and production space).
Textual description: This circa 1977 poster measures 16 x 20 inches and promotes "Apple Computer Inc." shortly after the company secured significant funding (notably Mike Markkula's $250,000 investment in early 1977, which enabled incorporation, hiring, and scaling production beyond the garage). It features early Apple branding, likely including the original rainbow-striped Apple logo (introduced in 1977 with the Apple II era), company name styling as "Apple Computer Inc.," and promotional text emphasizing the revolutionary personal computer vision—positioning Apple as an innovative startup making computing accessible. Such posters were produced in limited quantities for trade shows, dealer displays, internal use, or promotional distribution during the transition from the Apple-1 (sold as bare boards in 1976) to the more professional Apple II launch.
Its significance lies in its extreme rarity as one of the earliest known Apple promotional posters—created in the window between the company's informal startup phase and its formal corporate identity. Unlike later mass-produced posters (e.g., the 1980 "Apple Personal Computers" or "Think" variants), this one captures the raw, bootstrapped excitement of 1977, when Apple was still a tiny operation but poised for explosive growth with the Apple II's debut at the West Coast Computer Faire in April 1977. Its personal association with Jobs (displayed in the family home alongside garage prototypes and early inventory) adds intimate provenance, making it a tangible link to the domestic origins of the company.
In Apple's timeline, this poster dates to early-to-mid 1977 (circa post-January 3, 1977 incorporation):
- 1976 (pre-founding to mid-year): Apple-1 development, first checks (March 1976), partnership formed (April 1, 1976), limited sales of ~200 Apple-1 units (mostly July 1976 onward).
- Late 1976–early 1977: Mike Markkula invests (January 1977), leading to incorporation as Apple Computer Inc. on January 3, 1977; professional structure, funding for Apple II production, and early marketing efforts.
- 1977: Apple II announced/released (April 1977 at WCCF); first widespread promotional materials emerge, including this poster style, to attract dealers, press, and early adopters.
- Post-1977: Branding evolves further with rainbow logo refinements and more polished campaigns (e.g., 1984 Macintosh era).
