The Richard Miller Collection: Trio of Fine Art Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Posters (1983, 1987, 1997) – Featuring 15 Total Hand-Signed Wet Signatures Including Ansel Adams, Sir Jackie Stewart, and Phil Hill
An exceptional single-lot collection of three official, framed promotional art posters from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This set features museum-grade signatures from titans of motorsport, photography, and automotive design, structurally linked as a cohesive collection via matching historical inventory labels. Lot Highlights & Signature Analysis 1983 Poster (33rd Annual) — 2 Wet Signatures: Ansel Adams: Personally dedicated "To Richard Miller" and hand-signed by the legendary American photographer in black ink. Adams was a lifelong resident of the Monterey Peninsula and a frequent honorary guest/judge at the event. Sir Jackie Stewart: Features a bold, highly stylized, enclosed wet signature from the iconic three-time Formula One World Champion and long-serving Pebble Beach Master of Ceremonies. 1987 Poster (37th Annual) — 13 Wet Signatures: A historic automotive time capsule containing 13 individual, hand-signed wet signatures from classic coachbuilders, honorary judges, and automotive legends. Signatures include: Phil Hill (1961 F1 World Champion), Brooks Stevens (Design icon), Henry Austin Clark Jr. (Historian), Hermann C. Brunn (Coachbuilder), Strother MacMinn (ArtCenter Professor), Dave Holls (GM Design Director), Hank Ketcham (Dennis the Menace creator with custom face sketch), Will Ikerd, Norbert Nagel, Bill Lauer, Bill Dobson, Bill DeChesere, and Dan Bowles. 1997 Poster (47th Annual): Elegant event print by renowned automotive artist Nicola Wood, beautifully completing the historical continuum of the trio. Provenance & Condition Report Provenance: The reverse of each frame bears official inventory labels from K2 Environmental Inc. Construction & Remediation, cataloging them directly as assets from the "Miller" estate recovery project. The labels detail exact archival tracking numbers (Pic 70, Pic 71, Pic 74) and precise dimensions (18\frac{1}{4} \times 24 \text{ inches} and 26\frac{1}{2} \times 38\frac{1}{2} \text{ inches}). After circumstances unknown the pieces were salvaged and are currently held in a private collection. Condition Note (1983 & 1987 Signed Posters): Both highly valuable signed pieces are remarkably well-preserved within their gallery frames. The critical ink signatures remain strong, clear, completely legible, and entirely undamaged. Condition Note (1997 Unsigned Poster): This poster exhibits a distinct, vertical puncture/tear located in the upper-middle section of the artwork (the sky area), which penetrates completely through the backing paper, mounting board, and the front face of the print. The frame and glass remain structurally sound.
1983 Poster (Ansel Adams & Sir Jackie Stewart Signed): 18.25 x 24 inches 1987 Poster (13-Signature Multi-Signed): 18.25 x 24 inches 1997 Poster (Nicola Wood Unsigned): 26.5 x 38.5 inches
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Hi Wesley,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is widely regarded as the most prestigious antique and collector-car exhibition in the United States and one of the most important automotive events in the world. Held annually on the 18th fairway of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, it brings together many of the finest historic automobiles ever built.
The Concours began in 1950 as part of the Pebble Beach Road Races. The French term concours d'elegance means "competition of elegance," reflecting a tradition in which automobiles are judged not for speed but for their beauty, authenticity, rarity, and historical significance.
Winning an award at Pebble Beach can dramatically enhance a vehicle's reputation and value. The coveted Best of Show award is considered one of the highest honors in the collector-car world.
Thom Thomas's Art Deco-inspired poster celebrated the 33rd annual PBCdE, in 1983. It was held less than a year before Ansel Adams (1902-1984) died; he lived a short distance from Pebble Beach and occasionally lent his name to local cultural and charitable events on the Monterey Peninsula, including the PBCdE, for which he served as an honorary guest/judge. Sir Jackie Stewart is one of the event's most longtime and prominent honorary judges and ambassadors. UNSIGNED versions of this original print regularly sell at auction for between $50 and $75; the signatures of both Adams and Stewart** boost the value of this poster to $400-600.
The 1987 Concours took place during a period when the collector-car market was expanding rapidly. Interest in Full Classic-era automobiles was growing, major restorations were becoming more sophisticated, and Pebble Beach was solidifying its reputation as the world's premier concours event. Today, historians often view the 1980s as the decade when Pebble Beach evolved from an elite enthusiast gathering into the international standard-bearer for automotive preservation. The 1987 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was designed by Ken Eberts and unsigned original posters usually bring between $30 and $60.
Having the additional signatures** of Phil Hill (1961 F1 World Champion), Brooks Stevens (Design icon), Henry Austin Clark Jr. (Historian), Hermann C. Brunn (Coachbuilder), Strother MacMinn (ArtCenter Professor), Dave Holls (GM Design Director), Hank Ketcham (Dennis the Menace creator with custom face sketch), Will Ikerd, Norbert Nagel, Bill Lauer, Bill Dobson, Bill DeChesere, and Dan Bowles multiplies its value considerably, to $700-1,000.
Lastly, the poster Nicola Wood designed for the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance features a Stanley Steamer Runabout. Wood is an American automotive fine artist known for highly detailed oil paintings of classic and historic automobiles. Her work became especially well known in concours and collector-car circles during the 1980s and 1990s. She has exhibited at major automotive events and museums and has received multiple awards for automotive art. She was selected as the featured artist for the 1997 Concours, as she was for the 1993 and 2002 events.
In good condition, her unsigned original prints typically bring between $60 and $90 at auction.
In its current condition (described as exhibiting 'a distinct, vertical puncture/tear located in the upper-middle section of the artwork (the sky area), which penetrates completely through the backing paper, mounting board, and the front face of the print), this would have a fair market value of $15-25.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
Three vintage/near vintage Art Deco style Pebbly Beach Concours d'Elegance posters
Comprising:
(1983), Thom Thomas poster signed** by Ansel Adams & Sir Jackie Stewart with presentation inscription to Richard Miller
(1987) Ken Eberts poster signed** by Phil Hill, Brooks Stevens, Henry Austin Clark Jr. , Hermann C. Brunn, Strother MacMinn, Dave Holls, Hank Ketcham, Will Ikerd, Norbert Nagel, Bill Lauer, Bill Dobson, Bill DeChesere, and Dan Bowles
(1997) Nicola Wood poster, unsigned
1983 Poster: 24 by 18-1/4 inches (framed)
1987 Poster: 24 by 18-1/4 inches (framed)
1997 Poster: 38-1/2 by 26-1/2 inches (framed)
CONDITION: Not examined out of the frame
PROVENANCE: ex Richard Miller collection
$ 1115-1625 for the group*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
** Mearto can not authenticate signatures by photo but have made the evaluation on the presumption that they are authentic. If the signatures are examined in person and determined to be facsimile signatures, the value would be less.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia
