Bern Hill Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Bern Hill Art Value Price Guide

Oct. 30, 2024
AMERICAN AIRLINES TRAVEL POSTER FOR DETROIT Circa 1950 40" x 30". Unframed.
Est: $300 - $500
AMERICAN AIRLINES TRAVEL POSTER FOR DETROIT Circa 1950 By Bern Hill (Connecticut/Canada, 1911-1977). Depicts a plane flying over the city waterfront. Linen-backed.
Eldred's
Oct. 10, 2024
BERN HILL (1911-1977). FRISCO / SERVING THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST. Circa 1951. 23¾x18 inches, 60½x45¾ cm.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
BERN HILL (1911-1977) FRISCO / SERVING THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST. Circa 1951. 23¾x18 inches, 60½x45¾ cm. Condition A-: minor repaired tears, abrasions and minor overpainting at edges. Throughout his work for General Motors, Hill "single-handedly managed to represent almost every railroad of the day" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 75). He also graphically captured architectural, engineering and natural wonders along the various train routes. The "Frisco" was the colloquial name given to the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. This image first appeared on the cover of Railway Age magazine on October 29, 1951.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 10, 2024
BERN HILL (1911-1977). [FOR 100 YEARS . . . MAIN LINE OF MID - AMERICA / ILLINOIS CENTRAL]. Gouache painting. 1951. 15½x23½ inches, 39½
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) [FOR 100 YEARS . . . MAIN LINE OF MID - AMERICA / ILLINOIS CENTRAL]. Gouache painting. 1951. 15½x23½ inches, 39½x59¾ cm. Condition A-: minor abrasions and scratches to image; gouache on watercolor board, with some tape on verso. Hand-signed by the artist in ink over pencil. Bern Hill was a graphic designer and painter. He "worked for the Kudner Agency, a New York City advertising firm. At the end of 1949, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division embarked on a rather radical advertising campaign which included vertical format streamline style paintings for the covers of Railway Age" (Vintage Rails, Jan / Feb 1998, p. 64). Between 1950 and 1956, Hill painted 65 paintings. "Electro-Motive also produced a series of very high-grade posters of Hill's paintings that were overwritten by the marketing theme for that particular railroad . . . it is unknown if all 65 paintings were turned into posters . . . Hill's assignment was to portray the 'feel' of each railroad in a scene that often captured the landscape of the individual road and gave the viewer the sense of that road's missions - freight, passenger or switching" (Railroad Heritage, No. 6, 2002, p. 10). The Illinois Central Railroad connected Chicago in the North with New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama in the South and with Omaha to the West. Hill's details were as accurate with landmarks along the line as they were with the engines themselves. The truss bridge depicted here is the Cairo Bridge, which spans the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 21, 2024
Original 1950s Bern Hill Rail Travel Poster Eagles Rout
Est: $900 - $1,200
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977 Route of the Eagles Offset ca. 1952 24 x 18.1 in. (61 x 46 cm) Printer: no information Condition Details: (A-/B+) corner needle holes and small edge tears, tiny loss in the bottom left corner#USA #Travel #Trains #General Electric #Cowboys
PosterConnection Inc.
May. 16, 2024
HILL, Bern (1911 – 1977). Detroit. United States, ca. 1950s...
Est: $400 - $600
HILL, Bern (1911 – 1977). Detroit. United States, ca. 1950s. Lithograph. 39 ¼ x 30”. Linen backed. Closed tears to edges; repaired pin holes in each corner. A.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Dec. 02, 2023
AMERICAN AIRLINES NEW ENGLAND POSTER
Est: $100 - $200
Bern Hill (American, 19111977). American Airlines New England. 1950s. View of a New England shipyard with a church steeple in the background as a jet flies overhead. 40 x 30.
John McInnis Auctioneers
Nov. 09, 2023
BERN HILL (1911-1977). [FOR 100 YEARS . . . MAIN LINE OF MID - AMERICA / ILLINOIS CENTRAL]. Gouache painting. 1951. 15½x23½ inches, 39
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) [FOR 100 YEARS . . . MAIN LINE OF MID - AMERICA / ILLINOIS CENTRAL]. Gouache painting. 1951. 15 1/2x23 1/2 inches, 39 1/2x59 3/4 cm. Condition A-: minor abrasions and scratches to image; gouache on watercolor board, with some tape on verso. Hand-signed by the artist in ink over pencil. Bern Hill was a graphic designer and painter. He "worked for the Kudner Agency, a New York City advertising firm. At the end of 1949, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division embarked on a rather radical advertising campaign which included vertical format streamline style paintings for the covers of Railway Age" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 64). Between 1950 and 1956, Hill painted 65 paintings. "Electro-Motive also produced a series of very high-grade posters of Hill's paintings that were overwritten by the marketing theme for that particular railroad . . . it is unknown if all 65 paintings were turned into posters . . . Hill's assignment was to portray the 'feel' of each railroad in a scene that often captured the landscape of the individual road and gave the viewer the sense of that road's missions - freight, passenger or switching" (Railroad Heritage, No. 6, 2002, p. 10). The Illinois Central Railroad connected Chicago in the North with New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama in the South and with Omaha to the West. Hill's details were as accurate with landmarks along the line as they were with the engines themselves. The truss bridge depicted here is the Cairo Bridge, which spans the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 16, 2023
HILL, Bern (1911–1977). New England / American Airlines. Ci...
Est: $200 - $300
HILL, Bern (1911–1977). New England / American Airlines. Circa 1950s. View of a New England shipyard with a church steeple in the background as an AA airliner flies overhead. 40 x 30”. Linen backed. Minor repairs outside image area. A-.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Mar. 09, 2023
BERN HILL (1911-1977). CHESAPEAKE & OHIO RAILWAY. Two posters. Circa 1950. Each 37½x27½ inches, 95¼x69¾ cm.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
BERN HILL (1911-1977) CHESAPEAKE & OHIO RAILWAY. Two posters. Circa 1950. Each 37 1/2x27 1/2 inches, 95 1/4x69 3/4 cm. Condition varies, generally A-. Paper. Includes Virginia Seashore and Washington, D.C.. Images available by request.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 11, 2023
Original Vintage 1950s Virginia Travel Poster BERN HILL
Est: $500 - $700
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977 Visit Historic Williamsburg, Virginia Offset ca. 1955 37.4 x 27.5 in. (95 x 70 cm) Printer: no information Condition Details: (A-) linen-backed, small tear and minimal staining in the margins#USA #Travel
PosterConnection Inc.
Nov. 10, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). ROUTE OF THE BLACK DIAMOND. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45¾ cm.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
BERN HILL (1911-1977) ROUTE OF THE BLACK DIAMOND. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A. Paper. "The beauty of Hill's locomotive paintings is found in the way he captures the essence of each railroad. The 1950s represented a period in railroad history that found America with an abundance of regional rail lines, all featuring distinctive paint schemes. Often railroads operated only in a small geographical location and were unknown in some parts of the country" (Railroad Heritage No. 6, 2002, p. 10). The name "Black Diamond" was derived from anthracite coal, which was the predominant cargo carried by the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 10, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). FRISCO / SERVING THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST. Circa 1951. 24x18 inches, 61x45¾ cm.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
BERN HILL (1911-1977) FRISCO / SERVING THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST. Circa 1951. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A- / A: creases in bottom right corner; minor creases at edges. Paper. Throughout his work for General Motors, Hill "single-handedly managed to represent almost every railroad of the day" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 75). He also graphically captured architectural, engineering and natural wonders along the various train routes. The "Frisco" was the colloquial name given to the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. This image first appeared on the cover of Railway Age magazine on October 29, 1951.
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 10, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE - THE OLD RELIABLE. 1951. 24x18¼ inches, 61x46½ cm.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
BERN HILL (1911-1977) LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE - THE OLD RELIABLE. 1951. 24x18 1/4 inches, 61x46 1/2 cm. Condition A / A-: minor creases at edges. It is clear from looking at his images that Hill had an incomparable sense of graphic design and layout. His angles, perspectives and use of color lend themselves perfectly to poster design. "Operating statistics are proving the wisdom of the L & N's stepped-up dieselization program. In May 1951, GM Diesel-powered freight trains on the mail line northbound, handled 87,347 gross ton-miles per train hour - 47% more than in May 1949 when no Diesels were in road service. In the next year L & N will have 357 Diesel units handling about 90% of passenger train miles; 68% of freight ton-miles; and 80% of yard switching locomotive hours" (Railway Age, cover, December 31, 1951).
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 10, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). FAST FREIGHT SERVICE IN THE GREAT MIDWEST. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45¾ cm.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
BERN HILL (1911-1977) FAST FREIGHT SERVICE IN THE GREAT MIDWEST. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A. Paper. Bern Hill was a graphic designer and painter. He "worked for the Kudner Agency, a New York City advertising firm. At the end of 1949, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division embarked on a rather radical advertising campaign which included vertical format streamline style paintings for the covers of Railway Age" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 64). Between 1950 and 1956, Hill painted 65 paintings. "Electro-Motive also produced a series of very high-grade posters of Hill's paintings that were overwritten by the marketing theme for that particular railroad . . . it is unknown if all 65 paintings were turned into posters . . . Hill's assignment was to portray the 'feel' of each railroad in a scene that often captured the landscape of the individual road and gave the viewer the sense of that road's missions - freight, passenger or switching" (Railroad Heritage, No. 6, 2002, p. 10). Here, for the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, Hill provides a dramatic, track-level view of an approaching locomotive.
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 05, 2022
RARE 1950s BERN HILL Rail Travel Poster Eagles Route
Est: $900 - $1,200
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977 Route of the Eagles - West-Southwest Offset ca. 1950 24 x 18.1 in. (61 x 46 cm) Printer: no information Condition Details: (A-/B+) on linen, minor professional overpainting in the clouds, minimal staining#USA #Travel #Trains #General Motors
PosterConnection Inc.
Nov. 05, 2022
RARE 1950s BERN HILL Rail Travel Poster EAGLES ROUTE
Est: $900 - $1,200
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977 Route of the Eagles Offset ca. 1952 24 x 18.1 in. (61 x 46 cm) Printer: no information Condition Details: (A-/B+) corner needle holes and small edge tears, tiny loss in the bottom left corner#USA #Travel #Trains #General Electric #Cowboys
PosterConnection Inc.
Aug. 04, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). SANTA FE / THE CHIEF WAY. 1951. 23½x17½ inches, 59¾x44½ cm.
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
BERN HILL (1911-1977) SANTA FE / THE CHIEF WAY. 1951. 23 1/2x17 1/2 inches, 59 3/4x44 1/2 cm. Condition A- / A: small abrasion in upper right edge; minor creases at edges and in image. Paper. "The luxurious Super Chief has been powered since its birth in 1936 with General Motors Diesel locomotives on its 39 3/4 hour run between Chicago and Los Angeles. With 769 units in freight and passenger service - and 52 more on order - the growing fleet of GM Diesels on the Santa Fe has rolled up a total of almost half a billion unit miles" (Railway Age, cover August 27, 1951). Bern Hill was a graphic designer and painter. He "worked for the Kudner Agency, a New York City advertising firm. At the end of 1949, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division embarked on a rather radical advertising campaign which included vertical format streamline style paintings for the covers of Railway Age" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 64). Between 1950 and 1956, Hill painted 65 paintings. "Electro-Motive also produced a series of very high-grade posters of Hill's paintings that were overwritten by the marketing theme for that particular railroad . . . it is unknown if all 65 paintings were turned into posters . . . Hill's assignment was to portray the 'feel' of each railroad in a scene that often captured the landscape of the individual road and gave the viewer the sense of that road's missions - freight, passenger or switching" (Railroad Heritage, No. 6, 2002, p. 10).
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 04, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). SMOOTH GOING / CHICAGO AND NORTH WESTERN SYSTEM. Circa 1950s. 22x17 inches, 55¾x43¼ cm.
Est: $700 - $1,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) SMOOTH GOING / CHICAGO AND NORTH WESTERN SYSTEM. Circa 1950s. 22x17 inches, 55 3/4x43 1/4 cm. Condition A. Paper.
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 04, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). JERSEY CENTRAL - THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD. Circa 1950s. 23¾x18 inches, 60¼x46¾ cm.
Est: $800 - $1,200
BERN HILL (1911-1977) JERSEY CENTRAL - THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD. Circa 1950s. 23 3/4x18 inches, 60 1/4x46 3/4 cm. Condition B+ / B: restoration and overpainting along horizontal fold; restored loss in top right corner; restoration at edges. Throughout his work for General Motors Hill "single-handedly managed to represent almost every railroad of the day" (Vintage Rails, January / February, 1998, p. 75). He also graphically captured architectural, engineering and natural wonders along the various train routes. Here, an EMD F3 Locomotive, produced between 1945 and 1949 by General Motors, is shown here crossing the original Newark Bay Bridge connecting the Elizabeth port and Bayonne at the southern end of Newark Bay. The Central New Jersey Railroad bridge was superseded by the current Newark Bay Bridge which opened in 1956. The original bridge slipped into disrepair and was eventually abandoned. Demolition of the structure began in 1980.
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 04, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). RIDE STREAMLINERS "MAN O'WAR" AND "NANCY HANKS." Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45¾ cm.
Est: $700 - $1,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) RIDE STREAMLINERS "MAN O'WAR" AND "NANCY HANKS." Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A. Paper.
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 04, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). ROUTE OF THE EAGLES. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45¾ cm.
Est: $700 - $1,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) ROUTE OF THE EAGLES. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A: minor abrasions at edges. Paper.
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 04, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). ROUTE OF THE SILVER FLEET. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45¾ cm.
Est: $800 - $1,200
BERN HILL (1911-1977) ROUTE OF THE SILVER FLEET. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A: minor creases at edges. Paper. "The beauty of Hill's locomotive paintings is found in the way he captures the essence of each railroad. The 1950s represented a period in railroad history that found America with an abundance of regional rail lines, all featuring distinctive paint schemes. Often railroads operated only in a small geographical location and were unknown in some parts of the country" (Railroad Heritage No. 6, 2002, p. 10).
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 04, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). CAPITAL CITIES ROUTE. Circa 1952. 23½x17½ inches, 56¾x43¼ cm.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
BERN HILL (1911-1977) CAPITAL CITIES ROUTE. Circa 1952. 23 1/2x17 1/2 inches, 56 3/4x43 1/4 cm. Condition B+: repaired tears at edges, some slightly into image; small tears and creases at edges. Paper. Bern Hill was a graphic designer and painter. He "worked for the Kudner Agency, a New York City advertising firm. At the end of 1949, General Motor's Electro-Motive Division embarked on a rather radical advertising campaign which included vertical format streamline style paintings for the covers of Railway Age" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 64). Between 1950 and 1956, Hill painted 65 paintings. "Electro-Motive also produced a series of very high-grade posters of Hill's paintings that were overwritten by the marketing theme for that particular railroad . . . it is unknown if all 65 paintings were turned into posters . . . Hill's assignment was to portray the 'feel' of each railroad in a scene that often captured the landscape of the individual road and gave the viewer the sense of that road's missions - freight, passenger or switching" (Railroad Heritage, No. 6, 2002, p. 10).
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 24, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). DEPENDABLE FREIGHT AND PASSENGER SERVICE. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45½ cm.
Est: $700 - $1,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) DEPENDABLE FREIGHT AND PASSENGER SERVICE. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 1/2 cm. Condition A. Paper.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 24, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). ROUTE OF THE EAGLES. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45½ cm.
Est: $800 - $1,200
BERN HILL (1911-1977) ROUTE OF THE EAGLES. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 1/2 cm. Condition A. Paper. Bern Hill was a graphic designer and painter. He "worked for the Kudner Agency, a New York City advertising firm. At the end of 1949, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division embarked on a rather radical advertising campaign which included vertical format streamline style paintings for the covers of Railway Age" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 64). Between 1950 and 1956, Hill painted 65 paintings. "Electro-Motive also produced a series of very high-grade posters of Hill's paintings that were overwritten by the marketing theme for that particular railroad . . . it is unknown if all 65 paintings were turned into posters . . . Hill's assignment was to portray the 'feel' of each railroad in a scene that often captured the landscape of the individual road and gave the viewer the sense of that road's missions - freight, passenger or switching" (Railroad Heritage, No. 6, 2002, p. 10).
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 24, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). GREAT NORTHERN'S EMPIRE BUILDER IN MONTANA ROCKIES. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45½ cm.
Est: $800 - $1,200
BERN HILL (1911-1977) GREAT NORTHERN'S EMPIRE BUILDER IN MONTANA ROCKIES. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 1/2 cm. Condition A: minor creases at bottom edge. Paper. Running between Chicago and Seattle, the Empire Builder began service in 1929. It ran through the Glacier National Park, which was such a scenic route that in 1955 the railroad installed viewing domes in the cars of this trains to facilitate sightseeing for passengers. Here, in the days before the dome, the train curves around one of the park's many lakes, the blade of the upper quadrant semaphore pointing up, indicating that the route is clear.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 24, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). ROUTE OF THE SILVER FLEET. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45¾ cm.
Est: $800 - $1,200
BERN HILL (1911-1977) ROUTE OF THE SILVER FLEET. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A- / A: minor creases and abrasions at edges. Paper. "The beauty of Hill's locomotive paintings is found in the way he captures the essence of each railroad. The 1950s represented a period in railroad history that found America with an abundance of regional rail lines, all featuring distinctive paint schemes. Often railroads operated only in a small geographical location and were unknown in some parts of the country" (Railroad Heritage No. 6, 2002, p. 10).
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 24, 2022
BERN HILL (1911-1977). THE AROOSTOOK FLYER. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45½ cm.
Est: $800 - $1,200
BERN HILL (1911-1977) THE AROOSTOOK FLYER. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 1/2 cm. Condition A: minor creases at left edge. Paper.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jan. 29, 2022
HILL, Bern (1911–1977). Virginia / American Airlines. Circa...
Est: $250 - $350
HILL, Bern (1911–1977). Virginia / American Airlines. Circa 1950s. Poster with an illustration of the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg. 39 ¾ x 28 ½”. Linen backed. Clean horizontal folds approximately 1 ¾” at top and bottom, both outside print area; one slight crease at left side into image. A-/B+.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Jan. 29, 2022
HILL, Bern (1911–1977). New England / American Airlines. Ci...
Est: $200 - $300
HILL, Bern (1911–1977). New England / American Airlines. Circa 1950s. View of a New England shipyard with a church steeple in the background as an AA jetliner flies overhead. 40 x 30”. Linen backed. Few pale spots outside image area. A-.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Nov. 23, 2021
BERN HILL (1911-1977). RIDE THE BURLINGTON VISTA - DOME ZEPHYRS. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45½ cm.
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) RIDE THE BURLINGTON VISTA - DOME ZEPHYRS. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 1/2 cm. Condition A / A-: minor creases and abrasions at edges. The Burlington Route (officially known as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad) had routes emanating out from Chicago to "Everywhere West."
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 23, 2021
BERN HILL (1911-1977). SANTA FE / THE CHIEF WAY. 1951. 23¼x17 inches, 59x45 cm.
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) SANTA FE / THE CHIEF WAY. 1951. 23 1/4x17 inches, 59x45 cm. Condition A: small abrasions at left edge. Matted and framed. "The luxurious Super Chief has been powered since its birth in 1936 with General Motors Diesel locomotives on its 39 3/4 hour run between Chicago and Los Angeles. With 769 units in freight and passenger service - and 52 more on order - the growing fleet of GM Diesels on the Santa Fe has rolled up a total of almost half a billion unit miles" (Railway Age, cover August 27, 1951). Bern Hill was a graphic designer and painter. He "worked for the Kudner Agency, a New York City advertising firm. At the end of 1949, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division embarked on a rather radical advertising campaign which included vertical format streamline style paintings for the covers of Railway Age" (Vintage Rails, January / February 1998, p. 64). Between 1950 and 1956, Hill painted 65 paintings. "Electro-Motive also produced a series of very high-grade posters of Hill's paintings that were overwritten by the marketing theme for that particular railroad . . . it is unknown if all 65 paintings were turned into posters . . . Hill's assignment was to portray the 'feel' of each railroad in a scene that often captured the landscape of the individual road and gave the viewer the sense of that road's missions - freight, passenger or switching" (Railroad Heritage, No. 6, 2002, p. 10).
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 14, 2021
American Airlines / Virginia. ca. 1957.
Est: $800 - $1,000
ARTIST: BERN HILL (1911-1977) SIZE: 29 7/8 x 39 7/8 in./75.8 x 101.3 cm DESCRIPTION: Hill gives us a quaint provincial setting to promote travel to Virginia and to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the founding of the colony of Jamestown. The 1957 Jamestown Festival lasted eight months and drew over a million visitors, including then-Vice President Richard Nixon and Queen Elizabeth II. (Modern; Aviation; Travel; American)
Poster Auctions International Inc
Nov. 14, 2021
American Airlines / New England.
Est: $800 - $1,000
ARTIST: BERN HILL (1911-1977) SIZE: 29 7/8 x 40 in./75.8 x 101.4 cm DESCRIPTION: Hill was a freelance illustrator and painter. His clean, precise designs are marked by unusual perspectives, panoramic vantage points, and striking chiaroscuro. Though he could count General Motors, American Airlines, Reader's Digest, and the Saturday Evening Post among his clients, Hill is perhaps best known for his depictions of trains that appeared on model railroad packaging and on the covers of railroad magazines. A native of Toronto, he also had a particular fondness for New England (Hill lived in Connecticut for most of his career), an attitude that comes across loud and clear in his advertisement for American Airlines’ service to the region. Most interestingly, Hill manages to underscore the area with one of the craft in American’s fleet without intruding into the scene—or even making the airplane a noticeable feature of the design, for that matter. (Modern; Aviation; Travel; American)
Poster Auctions International Inc
Nov. 06, 2021
Old Original 1950s Rail Beach Travel Poster Bern Hill
Est: $800 - $1,000
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977 Virginia Seashore - Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Offset ca. 1955 Printer: no information Condition Details: (A) on linen, minimal creasing and staining in the margins
PosterConnection Inc.
Nov. 06, 2021
Original 1950s Bern Hill Airline Travel Poster Detroit
Est: $600 - $900
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977 American Airlines - Detroit Offset ca. 1952 Printer: no information Condition Details: (A-) corner needle holes, small tears, tiny losses and minimal staining at the left edge
PosterConnection Inc.
Jun. 19, 2021
Original Vintage 1950s BERN HILL Rail Travel Poster
Est: $2,000 - $2,500
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977 Wabash - St. Louis to Chicago - Blue Bird Offset ca. 1952 24 x 18.1 in. (61 x 46 cm) Printer: no information Condition Details: (A)
PosterConnection Inc.
Mar. 06, 2021
Original Vintage 1950s Virginia Travel Poster BERN HILL
Est: $400 - $600
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977. Visit Historic Williamsburg, Virginia. Offset ca. 1955. Size: 37.4 x 27.5 in. (95 x 70 cm). Printer: no information. Condition Details: (A-) on linen, small tear and minimal staining in the margins
PosterConnection Inc.
Mar. 06, 2021
Original 1950s BERN HILL Airline Travel Poster Detroit
Est: $500 - $700
Hill, Bern 1911 - 1977. American Airlines - Detroit. Offset ca. 1950. Size: 40.1 x 29.9 in. (102 x 76 cm). Printer: no information. Condition Details: (A-) small tears and minor creasing and staining at the lower right edge, minor surface creasing
PosterConnection Inc.
Nov. 14, 2020
Hill, Bern (1911–1977). American Airlines / New England. Ci...
Est: $125 - $225
Hill, Bern (1911–1977). American Airlines / New England. Circa 1950s. Travel poster with a view of a shipyard with a church steeple in the background as a jet flies overhead. 40 x 30”. Pinholes to margins, upper corner tear, few closed tears to lower border. Unmounted. B.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Oct. 15, 2020
Bern Hill (1911-1977). FLY CANADIAN PACIFIC / ACROSS THE PACIFIC. Circa 1950s.
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
BERN HILL (1911-1977) FLY CANADIAN PACIFIC / ACROSS THE PACIFIC. Circa 1950s. 36x24 inches, 91 1/2x61 cm. Condition B+ / B: tears, small losses and creases at edges; tape stains at lower right edge, showing through; minor creases in image. Paper. Bern Hill is best known for his railway poster designs for the General Motors Corporation in the 1950s. He also designed a small handful of posters for American Airlines during that same decade. Canadian Pacific Airlines began flying to Australia, New Zealand and Asia in 1949. Here, a woman festooned in island finery (a grass skirt and lei) and a hibiscus flower in her hair, is on Waikiki beach. With Diamondhead in the distance, she waves at a passing DC-4. Human figures rarely feature in Hill's work, and to our knowledge this is his only poster where the central figure is a woman. Rare. We could find only one other copy at auction.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 15, 2020
American Airlines Detroit Original 1950's Travel Poster by Bern Hill
Est: $800 - $1,200
American Airlines is a major airline based in Fort Worth, Texas. The company was founded in 1926 as a union of more than eighty small airlines and is the world's largest airline. American Airlines is a founding member of OneWorld Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world. Through this partnership they are able to coordinate fares and services with Airlines around the world. In 2001, they acquired the well-known Trans World Airlines (TWA). They still operate today out of ten major hubs in the United States. This poster was created in the 1950's as part of a campaign for travel via American Airlines to various United States destinations. The entire group was designed by Bern Hill (1911-1977) a Canadian born artist. In this poster we see a view of the Detroit downtown skyline on the banks of Lake Michigan. Bern Hill was a free-lance graphic designer and painter from Toronto who spent most of his career and life in Connecticut. His artwork is characterized by clean, defined designs and boldly colored landscape settings that are often portrayed through unusual and innovative perspectives - a perfect combination for poster designs. While some of Hill's biggest clients included General Motors, American Airlines, Reader's Digest and Saturday Evening Post, the artist was perhaps best known for his modernist train illustrations that appeared on the covers of railroad magazines. This is an Original Vintage Poster. It is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.
The Ross Art Group, Inc
Aug. 27, 2020
BERN HILL (1911-1977). JERSEY CENTRAL - THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD. Circa 1950s. 23x18 inches, 60x46 cm.
Est: $800 - $1,200
BERN HILL (1911-1977) JERSEY CENTRAL - THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD. Circa 1950s. 23 3/4x18 inches, 60 1/4x46 3/4 cm. Condition B+ / B: restoration and overpainting along horizontal fold; restored loss in top right corner; restoration at edges.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jul. 21, 2020
American Airlines / Detroit.
Est: $1,200 - $1,500
ARTIST: BERN HILL (1911-1977) SIZE: 30 x 39 3/4 in./76.2 x 101 cm PRINTER: DESCRIPTION: Though the soaring price of gasoline and the continued popularity of foreign-made vehicles have somewhat diminished its status, Detroit is still known as the world's traditional automotive center, as well as an important source of popular music. These legacies are celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames: Motor City and Motown. However, neither of these traditions are celebrated in Hills American Airlines poster for this destination. Rather, the sights of the passersby are focused on the bustling port activity of the Detroit River and the Art Deco majesty of the citys skyline, namely the Penobscot, Dime, and Guardian Buildings. (Modern; Aviation; American; Travel)
Poster Auctions International Inc
Feb. 13, 2020
BERN HILL (1911-1977). SCENIC ROUTE OF THE EAST. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 cm.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
BERN HILL (1911-1977) SCENIC ROUTE OF THE EAST. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition A- / A: minor tears and creases at edges. Paper.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jan. 25, 2020
Hill, Bern (American, 1911–1977). New England. American Airlines.
Est: $200 - $300
Hill, Bern (American, 1911–1977). New England. American Airlines. Circa 1950s. View of a New England shipyard with a church steeple in the background as a jet flies overhead. 40 x 30”. Pinholes to margins, upper corner tear, few closed tears to lower border. B. Unmounted.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Jan. 25, 2020
Hill, Bern (American, 1911–1977). Detroit. American Airlines.
Est: $200 - $300
Hill, Bern (American, 1911–1977). Detroit. American Airlines. Circa 1950s. A view of the Detroit skyline and river as an American Airlines aircraft flies by. 39 ½ x 30”. A. Linen backed.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Nov. 14, 2019
BERN HILL (1911-1977). ROUTE OF THE BLACK DIAMOND. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 cm.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
BERN HILL (1911-1977) ROUTE OF THE BLACK DIAMOND. Circa 1950s. 24x18 inches, 61x45 3/4 cm. Condition B+: minor loss in lower left corner; pin holes in corners. Paper. The name "Black Diamond" was derived from anthracite coal, which was the predminant cargo carried by the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
Swann Auction Galleries