Sala Bolaffi to host monumental poster auction in Turin

(ANSA) - Rome, February 11 - Turin's Sala Bolaffi is set to bring the history of cinema to life on February 18, 2020, with a monumental auction of movie posters, an area where the Aste Bolaffi auction house has been a trailblazer in Italy.
    "It is the most important auction of the decade in Europe, and we are certain that it will mark a new, memorable stage of our history in the poster sector," said Filippo Bolaffi, the CEO of Aste Bolaffi.
    "We have been active in this area for more than 20 years and we hold the record for the most expensive poster ever sold in Italy: the 'Fiat in Pista' by Plinio Codognato, purchased in 1999 for 220 million lire (around 113,000 euros)".
    With a catalogue of 370 lots, the auction embraces the history of cinema from its very beginning, with a poster of "Cabiria", the first Italian silent film which was the fruit of a partnership between the director Giovanni Pastrone and Gabriele d'Annunzio, who contributed to the screenplay (lot 7, estimate 8,000-12,000 euros).
    It continues up to the 1970s, with special focus on on the '30s and '40s. The selection, the result of extensive research, features posters of remarkable importance, including for the international market. Especially noteworthy is a significant collection dedicated to horror films, a true cult genre for collectors from all over the world, in which some of the most sought-after titles on the market are present.
    Posters of the Frankenstein trilogy stand out among these: "Bride of Frankenstein" (lot 320, estimate 50,000-70,000 euros), "Son of Frankenstein" (lot 321, estimate 30,000-50,000 euros), and, above all, two different posters, in different formats, from the first Italian edition of James Whale's "Frankenstein" (1935), including the 200x140 cm format, top lot of the entire auction (lot 319, estimate 80,000-100,000 euros). A masterpiece of expressionist design, this poster by Raffaele Francisi is a visual summary of the most intense and dramatic moments of the film, created with extraordinary pictorial skill; it was so effective that it even inspired the American re-editions.
    Among the other gems of the catalogue is the first Italian edition of "Modern Times" directed by Charlie Chaplin, illustrated by the great Anselmo Ballester (lot 140, estimate 15,000-25,000 euros), and the one-sheet edition of 'Stagecoach' created by Rino, offered on the market for the first time (lot 333, estimate 4,000-6,000 euros).
    The journey into the history of cinema ends with the only lot dedicated to animated films: the first Italian edition of Walt Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" (lot 370, estimate 2,000-4,000 euros).
    The auction takes place on Tuesday February 18, 2020, at 4pm, at Sala Bolaffi, via Cavour 17, Turin.