Retro Poster

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Retro Poster

spirations of past consumers. Their popularity is fuelled by nostalgia and, judging by the way their appeal is growing, collectors will soon be pining for the era when they were less expensive.

Notices advertising products, sales, and events have existed for centuries, but they were largely unillustrated. The modern advertising poster was horn in the 1860s when the French artist Jules Cheret exploited developments in co lour


lithographic printing, which made the mass-production of attractive designs and eye-catching images possible for the first time. Cheret's fame* grew, and his Art Nouveau designs advertising the Moulin Rouge and Folies-Bergere music halls in Paris in the 1890s are now legendary.

All in a brand name

Retro Poster

Retro Poster

Progressive firms soon recognized the power of this new promotional tool to fix a brand image in the minds of consumers. Pioneering designers such as Cheret and Leonetto Cappiello were skilled in using striking artwork to convey a sales message. Cappiello's 'L'Aperitif for Campari (1921) captures

the product's appeal - a bitter-sweet slice of sophistication - by using the image of a clown inside a twist of lemon. Such posters are beyond most people's pocket, but there are plenty of others that can be found for £50-200. For example, an early 20th- century poster for Monis Cognac Champagne can be worth .£150-200.

Although France led the way, other countries followed. Posters for Coca- Cola and Guinness first appeared in the 1920s. Early posters for these and other enduring brands are desirable and fetch high prices. For example, a colorful 1940s Oxo poster can fetch around £300. Although posters for many well-known brand names may be expensive as they have a strong following, a great many inexpensive examples of beautifully styled posters from all periods can still be found.

Saving the nation

Governments were also quick to spot the potential of the poster. During World Wars 1 and II, posters were used extensively: for example, to recruit

Retro Poster

soldiers and to seek National Savings contributions to support the war effort. Examples can be found for £50-100 or less, but those by notable names such as Norman Wilkinson and Abram Games can fetch £200-400 or more.

Period details

Vintage advertising posters have both an aesthetic and a nostalgic value. Those with strong, colorful artwork tend to be the most desirable, particularly if they evoke the styles or trends of their period. A 1950s Du Marn ier cigarettes poster showing an elegant woman in a foreign seaside location reflects the glamour and sophistication attached to overseas travel at a time when it was just beginning to become popular.

Retro Poster

Retro Poster

The typography of the poster is important too. It should complement the artwork and reflect the style of the time, such as the swirling lines of Art Nouveau or the angular, linear lettering used during the Art Deco period.

Sizing it up

Posters can vary greatly in size. Some were made for large billboards, but smaller ones were made for shops. Larger posters are more valuable, often fetching £800-1,000 or more. They

rail posters from this period are particularly sought after. But the supply of well-preserved examples is drying up, so prices are rocketing. A 1930s poster by Fortunino Matania for the London Midland & Scottish Railway Company (LMS) called 'Southport, for a Holiday in Wintertime', showing a scene of smartly dressed patrons outside a theatre, might have fetched £300-500 in 1990; today it is probably worth up to 10 times that amount.

The new day-tripper

Retro Poster

The railways, and in particular the London Underground, were among the first organisations in Britain to recognise posters as an art form. In 1907 London Transport began a poster campaign illustrating locations that could be reached by tube. Regional railway companies picked up on the concept and encouraged people to take day trips to the seaside or to the country. Eye-catching and brightly coloured images of calming activities - golf, fishing, relaxing on the beach - in beautiful scenery were designed to appeal to tired city workers in need of a break.

Iconic images

London Transport often commissioned posters by high-profile avant-garde artists, such as Edward McKnight Kauffer, Horace Taylor, and Man Ray. Prices for McKnight Kauffer's posters start at about <£800, although some experts consider them undervalued. Of the regional railway company posters, many of the best were produced for London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), Great Western Railway (GWR), London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS), and Southern Railway (SR). These come in two standard sizes: 102 x 64cm (40 x 25in), in portrait format, and 102 x 127cm (40 x 50in), in landscape format. Look out for examples by known artists such as Frank Mason and

Charles Shepherd (who signed his work 'Shep'), as they tend to be among the most eye-catching.

Many of the works by the leading artists are already in collections or change hands for thousands of pounds, but there are plenty of other striking posters to choose from for between ,£100 and ±500. Invest in those that show styles of the period, and those that you find appealing: if you like them, other collectors probably will too. Look for bright,

fresh colours and evocative depictions of popular resorts. Many of the more affordable posters were produced for lesser-known and smaller railway lines. They are usually in portrait format and slightly smaller than the larger, more valuable versions produced for renowned railways such as the GWR.

Old Postcard

Old Postcard

Old Postcard

Postcards are still a grate way to say wish you were here', but early cards carry historical images of society, events, and places. They are treasured for the nostalgia they evoke and for their occasional flashes of artistic brilliance.

Old Postcard

Up to the early 20th century, postcards were plain, as the Post Office required that the address be on one side and the message on the other. From 1902, postcards with a message and address on one side, known as divided backs', were allowed, and the reverse carried photographs and illustrations of considerable artistry. Today, pre-1900 cards are especially sought after.

Old Postcard

Town and country

Cards that offer a snapshot of daily life, such as a townscape, were commonly produced

Old Postcard

But it is the detail — such as how people dressed and the forms of transport of the time - that creates interest. These cards can fetch from £3 to £40, depending on the location, with pre-1950s railway stations being a good buy. Postcards of one-off events, such as village fairs, social gatherings, and even disasters, are rarer, as fewer would have been printed; they can lie worth £10-40.

Q\d

Old Postcard

Landscapes, castles, and churches are usually less popular, as they tend not to change as much over time. Values are often less than SOp and rarely more than £1-2. Alfred Robert Quinton, known as ARQ', painted British landscapes and was publishedin the early 20th century. His cards are numbered, so are easy to collect. They fetch from around £1.50 up to ,£50.

Old Postcard

A military message

During World War I, many propaganda and patriotic cards were printed.

Values are around £3-10 or less, because of the number produced.

Old Postcard

Look out for those showing military subjects, especially Zeppelins, as these usually go for between £5 and £30. Cards showing one-off events are desirable too, with an image of a German U-boat aground often worthup to £15. Patriotic cards with the Union flag and a quote from Burns can cost about £1, while embroidered silk cards may be worth about £4—6.

Old Postcard

The tourist trade

Scenes of holiday resorts were sold in large numbers, so their value is usually low. Often more collectable are the typically British saucy seaside' cards, in particular those by Donald McGill. Because of the popularity of this genre fromthe 1910s to the 1930s, there are many to choose from, with values ranging from 50p to more than £5.

Stylish designs

Old Postcard

Advertising and artistic cards are popular, particularly if they show the styles of the period - such as the sinuous lines of Art Nouveau around 1900-10, or the clean forms of An Deco from the late 1920s and 30s. Designs by the An Deco poster artist Adolphe Mouron (known as 'Cassandre') can be worth £30-50.

Original Louis Wain postcards featuring his cat illustrations can range from £30-60. Mabel Lucie Attwell, with her images of chubby children, is another popular name, and her cards may be worth £3-30.

Old Postcard

Although postcards are not usually collected because of their manufacturer, there are some notable exceptions, such as Raphael Tuck of London, and Valentine of Dundee, which are known for the quality of their printing. Avoid buying modern reproductions.

Vintage Advertising

Vintage Advertising

Vintage Advertising

tracking down for its vibrant artwork, quirky slogans, and the nostalgia that it evokes for bygone days. From tin signs to ashtrays and novelties, there is a vast wealth of small advertising treasures to collect.

Vintage Advertising

Posters and tins weren't the only forms of advertising used by manufacturers during the first half of the 20th century. Packaging, catalogues, and a host of other small items helped them to establish their brands and imprint their company names on the public consciousness. Most of these promotional items were produced for a short time only, yet were familiar to many people at some point in the past. Often still inexpensive, yet rich in design and period detail, they are an ideal choice for a collection. Try focusing on a particular brand, era, or product.

Vintage Advertising

Art from the past

Vintage Advertising

The artwork is a vital factor to consider when collecting advertising ephemera. Usually bold and colourful, it reflects the style of the period in its imagery and lettering. An interesting collection might show how design developed through the decades. The style can be used to date a piece. A label or sign from 1900 may have traditional motifs, while 1930s artwork may be simpler and more modern, in keeping with the Art Deco taste of the period. The artwork also gives an insight into life in the past, showing what people wore and used in their homes. Such nostalgia is important to collectors


.Brand new

Vintage Advertising

The brand name also affects an item's value, particularly if displayed in a style characteristic of that brand. Some brands changed their look over time, and collectors can trace these changes. Familiar, long-standing names, such as Oxo and Ovaltine already fetch good prices. Lesser-known brands are generally cheaper, but their vast range and often excellent artwork provides plenty of scope for

collecting. Brand loyalty was vital to many manufacturers and they often usedcelebrities to promote a product. Their identity not only helps to date an object but can tell us who was famous at the time.

Vintage Advertising

Advertising materials featuring celebrities are often more valuable, as they appeal equally to fans of the celebrity. Some manufacturers also used fictitious characters to personify their brand, such as the Faiiy Liquid baby, or Kellogg's Frosties' 'Tony The Tiger', or their Cornflakes' cockerel: a 1960s advertising card for 'Cornflakes' can be worth around £10-15 today.

Signs of the times

Vintage Advertising

Lithographed tin and enamelled metal signs are highly collectable and were popular from the late 19th century until about 1950, when plastic signs and the promotional media of TV and radio began to take over. They fetch from around .£80 to more than .£800. A 1920s enamelled metal sign for Craven A cigarettes can cost around £150-200, and a 1910 Player's Navy Cut tobacco sign around £350.

Counter displays, known as 'point of sale material', were a popular form of advertising in shops. Card signs, known as 'standees', were usually made of thick cardboard with a stand or hanging device on the back. They carried the brand name and were sometimes also dispensers for small items. They used similar artwork to posters, but are less expensive and can be found for around £5-100 or more, depending on the date, brand name, product, and artwork. A 1920s card sign for Dubonnet, the French aperitif, can fetch around £40-60.

Vintage Advertising

Vintage Advertising

Manufacturers also advertised products with counter-top objects, ranging from dispensers to novelty figurines, often based on characters used in advertising campaigns. A large 1950s counter-top Cerebos Salt tin in good condition can be worth £30-50. From the 19th century to the 1940s, many small items were sold in glazed wooden counter-top display cabinets with gilt or coloured transfers showing the objects or naming the brand. These are usually valuable, costing £100-500 upwards. A glazed oak cabinet for Waterman pens in good condition can fetch more than £200.

Look out for novelty pieces, as these add variety to a collection. Plastic models of dinners and desserts used to temptpeople into a cafe may come into their own. Although not yet widely collected, they are kitsch, colourful, and can be found in car-boot sales or junk shops for about £3-20.

Vintage Advertising

The popularity of smoking spawned many advertising ashtrays promoting cigarettes or drinks. Those produced from the 1920s-60s can be worth £30 to £50, depending on the brand and artwork. Cigarette advertising itself may soon rise in value. A Craven A advertising calendar currently fetches around £30. If you do decide to collect cigarette memorabilia, the best-known brands are the most popular because of their innovative packaging designs and constantly changing advertising campaigns.

Cataloguing the past

Vintage Advertising

Product catalogues are also popular and are useful for reference. A Dinky Toys or Meccano catalogue from the mid-1950s may fetch around £8-12. Other makers' catalogues can fetch more, especially if scarce or from the 19th century. Small promotional objects, such as tin 'clickers' and whistles given to children from the 1910s to 1930s, are generally worth £10-40. Other novelty items include rulers and games, such as dominos, which usually fetch well under £100.

1950s

1950s The 1950s  was a time for people to

make a fresh start. Post-war optimism and hope were reflected by an enthusiasm for new products, materials, and designs - from sofa beds to kidney- shaped tables and tulip chairs.  1950s In 1950, few families had a TV, car, or telephone. As manufacturing resources were channelled away from the war effort, technological innovations appeared in the home, along with materials such as plastic, glass fibre, and nylon. Objects were designed in abstract shapes and patterns, breaking away from the austerity of wartime. Today, there is a renewed interest in objects from this era. Practical living Small new houses called for more compact furniture, and the decade saw the popularisation of trolleys, ironing boards, and sofa beds. Practical stacking furniture made its first 1950s appearance, as did flat-packed furniture. Tiered stands for plants were popular and can appearance, as did flat-packed furniture. Tiered stands for plants were popular and can fetch around £50-100. Kitchen tables were made from easy- to-clean Formica. Look out for 'dinette' sets - a matching table and four chairs for the kitchen. Plain, white versions, or those with flecked designs in the laminated surfaces, cost about £70-150. Those with abstract patterns often fetch about £100-150 or more. . 1950s Rectangular coffee tables printed with plain designs can sell for £20-30, but those with abstract patterns or stars can fetch around £80. Kidney-shaped tables are usually worth less than £50, but the more popular 'artist's palette'- shaped and three-tiered tables may cost from around £50 up to £150-200.In 1950, there were 350,000 TV sets in Britain; by 1952, 2.5 million were in use.  Manufacturers spotted a market and created TV lamps and chairs. The ceramics company Midwinter even launched compartmentalised TV-dinner plates as part of its Stylecraft range. Designer furniture Many designers used materials such as bent plywood and moulded plastic or glass fibre combined with metal tubular frames to create strong, simple designs. Look out for pieces by Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, and Eero

1930s

1930s

1930s

The 1930   are epitomised by Art

Deco, a distinctive style based on clean lines, geometric shapes, and architectural influences. As many objects in this style suit a modern home and are often inexpensive, they remain popular today.

 

Art Deco takes its name from the 1925 Paris exhibition of modern decorative arts - the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes - where this distinctive, between-the- wars style first gained widespread exposure. The flowing lines of Art Nouveau and the sober tones of wartime Europe gave way to the strikingly modern objects exhibited by French and Swiss designers.

An instant success

The exhibition featured items in many new materials, such as plastics and laminates, made with new industrial processes. Objects were brightly coloured and decorated with geometric lines and angular shapes. The look was hugely popular and ipass-production techniques enabled many people to buy these glamorous and fashionable objects at affordable prices for their own homes.

The shape of things

1930s

Early Art Deco items are often rounded, and feature Art Nouveau-inspired decoration,

1930s

such as flowers, deer, and pearls.

Later Deco objects frequently carry stylised motifs with modern angular forms, including sunbursts, spirals, and chevrons. Popular objects decorated with this look include vases, lamps, and clocks. Items can lie found from around £30-50 or more, depending on the style and maker, with items by leading names, such as Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper, or which exhibit key designs fetching upwards of £200-800.

Worldly influences

Designs of the period were influenced by changes in the world at large. Jazz,

1930s

athletics, and travel were in vogue and had an impact on many 1930sobjects. Bronze and spelter (a nc-based metal) figures were made in large numbers. Unmarked painted plaster or spelter pieces can be found for up to £100-300, while signed ivory or bronze figures will cost around £400-10,000 or more.

Decorative objects of the period sometimes reflected the bold, abstract patterns of African art, Egyptian and oriental styles, and Cubism.ArialThe glamour of early Hollywood led to a rise in luxury materials such as shagreen (a mottled, often green, shark skin), mirrored objects, and cocktail and smoking accessories. In the USA, designers began to 'streamline' objects, with lines becoming cleaner and more curved. Chrome and Bakelite were used to mass-produce items of style, such as radios.

The best - and the rest, for less

Ceramics by Clarice Cliff and Susie Cooper, opalescent glass by Rene Lalique, and furniture by Eileen Grey and Betty Joel are all collectable. Prices can be high (often £2,000- 10,000 or more) but smaller items or less popular designs tend to be more affordable. The best designs were often copied - a 1930s Lalique bowl with shells or a geometric design may cost £600-1,000 or more, but a similar bowl by Etling may fetch £200-300.

1930s

Items do not need to be by major names to be valuable, but they should be representative of the style of the period and in excellent condition. Bronze figures are expensive, so look for attractive spelter figures, such as elegant ladies with outstretched arms - but beware of fakes or poor quality.

Stylish living

Art Deco furniture from lesser-known designers can be bought for similar prices to new furniture. A dressing table with a column-shaped chest of drawers, large mirror, and curving top can be found for around £200-300. Look out for circular display cabinets on rectangular bases as these are typical of the period - they can cost upwards of £300-600. Deco-styled leather armchairs may command around £1,000 or more for a pair, but many wood-framed examples can usually be found for about £300- 500 or less.

BUY

The 1930s saw many Art Deco style wooden mantel clocks being made, and today these add affordable and functional Art Deco style to a room. Prices are generally low, and are unlikely to drop any further.

1930s