ULTRA RARE, Likely Unique 20" World's Columbian Moorish Palace Poster

We're still at least 6 weeks (as I list this on October 16) away for formally launching our world's fair sale which of course will be quite heavy with Columbiana. I decided to share some items now while listing a variety of new items in The History Bank Store.

This amazing and very large piece has sold TWICE in the last 30-40 years and is the only known example. I purchased it in some of my early collecting and finding treasures for resale. I found several flyers and larger items in mail auctions in the 1970s and '80s, including this gem.

I kept this on display in my office for years, then sold it to the late Ed Pritts, a good friend and a longtime customer. Then just over a year ago shortly after Ed's passing I went from Seattle to Cleveland to bid on a whole lot of items from Ed's collection. I spent roughly $12,000 and if I had more to spend, I would've done so in a heartbeat--every penny! I came away with perhaps the finest group of Columbiana ever in just a long day attending the auction in person.

Buying it back from Ed's estate cost me many times what I originally paid. If my memory is correct, I purchased this and a flyer for a Japanese performance at the fair for about $25+ each. When I look back at mail order catalogs (such as from Superior Stamp & Coin, Chuck Kirtley and others) I'm thrilled that I became a major WCE player when prices were so ridiculously low. Perspective should be the key word. Yes, I bought many such item for $10-$50 that are now $500-$1,000. Of course, a $1.4 million house in Seattle today was $25,000 in 1975, so we shouldn't dwell on the many things we missed or couldn't afford. ***

I don't believe the small tear at the top, which doesn't impact any of the text, detracts. I realize that a tall and narrow piece such as this requires some creativity to get it ready to display. I could see it displayed alone with just the right matte and frame; or one might go out on a limb and create a subtle collage with a couple other Moorish Palace items--brochure, ticket, or......?

***I should note that I don't throw around price comparisons unless I'm certain of their accuracy. The four bedroom Tudor house on a narrow Seattle lot is the one I purchased for $25,000 in the Spring of 1975. It was just before a boom in real estate in Seattle. I sold it for $90,000 in 1982. I see that Zillow quotes its market value today at $1.4 million.

This Moorish Palace poster is indeed the only one I have ever seen since I discovered the Columbian Expo shortly after the house purchase. Today's price is very modest for the unique and quite wonderful poster. Large posters and paper items rarely survived and prices reflect their rarity. I am sure everyone reading this is well aware of the popular water color with the Ferris Wheel in the center. That specific artwork was used on many 1893 pieces, by far the most famous being the large poster often reprinted; if you have $25,000 you could purchase one of the 2 or 3 known originals in the marketplace.