eMoviePoster.com

Log In | Register | Members Area

Auction History

[Tips] [Add Search to Browser]
Title Only

What are the objects in the corners of some images? Learn More

Find similar items:
WAR OF THE WORLDS ('53)
WAR OF THE WORLDS ('53) 1/2sh

Auction History Result

6w001 WAR OF THE WORLDS style B 1/2sh '53 HG Wells classic George Pal, best warships attacking art!

Date Sold: 12/8/2011

Sold For: $17,100.00

An Original Vintage Theater-Used Paperbacked Style B Half-Sheet Movie Poster (1/2sh; measures 22" x 28" [56 x 71 cm]) (Learn More)

H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, the classic 1953 Byron Haskin science fiction (sci-fi) alien-invasion action thriller (produced by George Pal; based on the classic H.G. Wells novel) starring Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite, and Lewis Martin

Important Added Info: Note that this is another example of the ultra-rare War of The Worlds style B half-sheet, which sold in our Halloween auction for $20,777. Yet we wrote in our Halloween auction that we had never previously had this poster at auction, despite actively seeking it for 23 years! So how did we come to get it for this auction (and also the equally rare style B half-sheet from Invasion of the Body Snatchers)? Here's what happened: After we auctioned the War of The Worlds style B half-sheet, one of our consignors looked at his example on the wall (which he had framed over ten years before), and to his dismay, he realized it had faded over those ten years. Worse yet, he had it framed side-by-side with the Invasion of the Body Snatchers style B half-sheet (he also had a framed "The Thing" half-sheet on the same wall), and all three had faded (the framer he had used was an expensive one, and they had assured him that they had used high quality UV Plexiglas, but they had saved money by using non UV instead). After it completely sunk in what had happened, he thought it would make sense to consign both of them to us, so that he could put the sad affair out of his mind (the framer who did not use UV glass is out of business, so he has no one to sue). While the reds in this poster have indeed faded to where they are now a light orange, the poster still displays well, and it will be up to our bidders to determine how much of a detraction this defect is (and this really IS a very rare poster!). Also note that this poster has been paperbacked. What is paperbacking? This means the poster was backed onto a paper backing (acid-free), that is similar in feel to that of the original poster (except somewhat heavier). It is a similar process to linenbacking, except that most collectors use linenbacking for one-sheets and paperbacking for half-sheets, inserts, window cards, and lobby cards.

What IS paperbacking? Learn More

Overall Condition and Pre-Restoration Defects with Quality of Restoration: good. Prior to paperbacking, the poster had creases, scuffs, and separation on both foldlines with tiny paper loss at the crossfold. There was a 2" vertical tear in the left of the top border running through the center of the "S" in "WELLS". There were pinholes, creases, smudges, and a few small tears around the edges of the poster. Overall, the poster was in very good condition prior to paperbacking. As described above, the poster was nicely backed around a decade ago, but was framed on a wall in sunlight where the reds changed to a light orange! Because the restoration paint on the folds (and the tear in the left of the top border) is different from the ink of the poster, you can now see that restoration paint, because it remains a reddish color. So the purchaser of this poster has three options: They can leave the poster exactly as it is and display it and enjoy it! Or they can have a restorer change the orange areas to their original red, which would require extensive paint restoration, but a talented professional can do so in such a way that few people would be aware of the extent of the restoration. Or, they can have a restorer simply touch up the foldlines and tear so that the color in those areas matches the orange color of the background. Please consider all of the above (and study our super-sized image closely) BEFORE placing a bid on this rare and desirable poster!

This poster was paperbacked, and it had significant defects which were only somewhat repaired during the paperbacking process, OR were not repaired at all OR the restoration was done well, but the poster is now fairly heavily restored (we describe both the defects as well as the quality of the restoration above, and based on those comments, you can easily determine which type of poster it is). You should also look at our "super-sized" image of the actual poster (we are the only major auction company we know of that gives accurate detailed pre-restoration information about paperbacked posters to our bidders, but we wish everyone did!).