Description:

KEITH HARING 'RADIANT BABY', 'SNAKE', AND 'BARKING DOG' SUBWAY SIGN
Exceptionally rare and highly desirable early work by Keith Haring: an 18 in. x 24 in. black-painted, two-sided aluminum New York street sign. The sign features three of Haring's most iconic motifs—the 'Radiant Baby,' 'Snake,' and 'Barking Dog'—rendered in broad white strokes using a paint marking tool. Created circa 1980–1985, the paint shows natural aging and minor scratching consistent with its history. The reverse of the sign bears a similar message to the front, likely intended to allow road crews to rotate the sign to extend its lifespan. The piece displays all the hallmarks of an authentic period street sign. Provenance: The sign was originally acquired by television personality William 'Billy' Leroy, former owner of the legendary Billy's Antiques and Props and former manager of the store 'Lot 76' specialists in vintage NYC signs, in particular MTA signs. According to the included letter of provenance, Leroy purchased the sign in late 2007 from a collector who was a close personal friend and lover of Keith Haring. This collector, Angelo L Moreno, originally from Brazil, met Haring in 1982–1983 while working as a DJ at the Inferno Night Club on 19th Street and 5th Avenue. An avid collector of discarded, tagged street and subway signs from the 1970s and 80s, he resided at 340 Madison Avenue. In 2008, Leroy was instrumental in working with Goldman Properties, the Keith Haring Foundation, and Jeffrey Deitch to preserve Haring's historic mural at the corner of East Houston and Bowery. Also included are several news articles from circa 2011 detailing Leroy's successful legal efforts to reclaim signs confiscated by the NYC MTA. This represents a rare opportunity to acquire an early Haring street work. Although, the Keith Haring Foundation no longer authenticates 'tagged' subway art or unsigned works, according to Leroy, at that time of the mural restoration, this particular sign was inspected by Julia Gruen, executive director of the Keith Haring Foundation, who gave it a whole hearted thumbs up. Leroy is also in possession of a 100+ page legal deposition from the offices of attorneys Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller at 477 Madison Ave., stating how the signs were acquired by Moreno. A copy of the relevant portion of this deposition will be provided to the buyer. Due to the fact that the Keith Haring Foundation will not, as a matter of policy authenticate any tagged sign, the opening bid for this fine piece has been set at a low level.

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Shipping

*SEE ADITTIONAL SHIPPING ABOVE* -Shipments are sent via FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. We will ship with USPS Priority Mail only if the buyer submits their request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for delayed shipments. Signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

March 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000