May 07, 2007 - Sale 2113

Sale 2113 - Lot 4

Price Realized: $ 3,840
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
LUCIAN BERNHARD (1883-1972) DER NEUE BOSCH MAGNET. Circa 1911.
31 7/8x22 1/4 inches.
Condition A. Japan.
In the early 20th century, at the dawn of the automobile era, cars were powered with either electricity or gasoline. Camille Jenatzy was the first man to break the 100 km/hr barrier, and he did it driving an electric car called La Jamais Contente (Never Satisfied). The car was powered by Bosch batteries, and the resulting success provided tremendous publicity for the company. Jenatzy, who had a red beard, was nicknamed "The Red Devil," or "The Bosch Mephisto," and he is pictured here holding one of the company's magnetos. The artist of this poster is somewhat of a mystery. While the poster appears to be signed "RS," Dominique Dubarry attributes the image to Julius Klinger (100 Ans d'Affiches Automobiles p. 18), and Das Fruhe Plakat attributes the poster to Lucian Bernhard, based on a maquette. As this is a variant on Bernhard's poster, featuring a different engine (for airplanes) we presume that the unknown "RS" made the alterations to Bernhard's original design. DFP III 203 (var), Looping the Loop pl. 7 (var).