Australia’s Premier Collection of Original Vintage Posters
A large personal collection of rare originals from the 1890s–1970s, including the country’s largest Cappiello collection.
A Gallery like no other
Step into a curated world of original vintage posters from Europe’s golden age of advertising.
Vintage Posters Sydney offers a full-service experience, including conservation framing, delivery, and professional installation, all from our by-appointment-only gallery in Sydney’s CBD. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or trade, we’ve been a trusted name in the industry for over 20 years.
Leonetto Cappiello Spotlight
Father of the modern poster world
9 April 1875 - 2 February 1942
When you think of poster art, chances are you’re picturing the work of Leonetto Cappiello, the Italian artist who transformed posters into the advertising medium we know today.
Born in Livorno in 1875, Cappiello grew up surrounded by creative figures like Amedeo Modigliani and Giacomo Puccini. He began with caricatures—playful rather than mocking—which gained quick popularity. Moving to Paris in 1898, he sold work to humor magazines including Le Rire and Le Figaro, establishing himself in the city’s artistic scene.
At the turn of the century, posters were emerging as a serious commercial art form. Signed by the print studio Vercasson, Cappiello produced images that broke from the Belle Époque style of soft lighting and romantic elegance. Lacking traditional training, he saw posters for what they were: tools of advertising. He stripped away excess detail, flattened backgrounds, and used bold shapes and color to make products unmistakable.
His 1922 Contratto champagne poster exemplifies this approach: a dark background and striking figure direct the eye to the drink itself.
Cappiello’s success reshaped the field, influencing artists like A.M. Cassandre and Jean D’Ylen. Later, with the Devambez studio, where he held a financial stake, his designs grew even more daring, cementing his legacy as the father of modern advertising posters.