This listing is for a very rare 3-Panel Poster designed in 1974 by the late great Swiss artist Hans Erni (1909-2015). The poster is promoting the Circus Knie, the largest circus in Switzerland. These are original posters printed in 1975, not modern reproductions. We have been unable to find this 3-panel poster for sale anywhere online. These come from the archives of a long time poster collector who lived in Switzerland for many years. Each one measures about 35.5 x 50.5 inches. They are in very good overall condition with some light creasing and moderate edge wear. Please see the detailed photos below, and contact us with any questions before bidding. Don't miss your chance to add this rare poster to your collection!
Hans Erni (February 21, 1909 – March 21, 2015) was a Swiss graphic designer, painter, illustrator, engraver and sculptor. Born in Lucerne, the third of eight siblings, to a cabin cruiser engineer, he studied art in France and Berlin, and admired artist such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. He is known for having illustrated postage stamps, his lithographs for the Swiss Red Cross, his participation on the Olympic Committee as well as his activism. His 1939 works and first major public success was a mural titled Switzerland: "Vacation Land of the People" was commissioned and displayed for the national exhibition in Zurich. The Hans Erni Museum, situated in the grounds of the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, contains a large collection of artwork, he also designed ceramics and theatre costumes and sets. He did the art for Swiss bank notes, in the 1940s but, after the notes were already printed they were never published, because a member of the State Council of Lucerne criticized that Erni was deemed as a communist. However, Erni was never member of any political party. In 2004, he was awarded the honorary citizenship of the city of Lucerne. On 10 January 2009 he received the SwissAward for lifetime accomplishment. In his career, he realized about 300 posters and several murals (for the Red Cross, the IOC, the United Nations, ICAO, and many public and private enterprises). He illustrated about 200 books and created 90 Postage stamps and 25 medals.
Circus Knie (German: Schweizer National-Circus Knie, French: Cirque National Suisse Knie) is the largest circus of Switzerland, based in Rapperswil. The circus was founded in 1803 by the Knie family and has existed in its present form since 1919 when it changed from an open arena to a covered tent. The circus has been long famous for its animals and now operates a zoo (Knie's Kinderzoo) and a museum in Rapperswil. In 1999 Franco Knie was named Best Animal Tamer at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo.
Please see our other listings for more vintage Swiss posters.