Hurrah, an auction; it feels as though we haven’t had one of those for ages. Even better, an interesting auction too. It’s Great Central Railwayana (9 April, Stoneleigh Showground, just in case you’re in the area). As it’s a railwayana sale, there is of course a lot of this kind of thing, here by Claude Buckle.
Because it’s a railwayana sale, there are also no estimates (why is that?) or dates either, so I can’t tell you very much about any of these posters. I can tell you that I quite like this one, more for its use of ‘twixt’ than its slightly archaic style.
And that I had to post this one, if only so that I can say by Eck.
Which is of course exactly what the picture shows.
Other than that, there is an early example of a photographic poster, which is rare, but not exactly pleasing on the eye.
Although I do rather want one of those swimsuits.
And another chance to revel in the delightfulness that is the camping coach.
As well as this Bromfield poster, which is simply good.
But the real reason that I’m enthusiastic about this auction is that they seem to have stumbled across a previously unknown treasure trove of kitsch, advertising Dublin, Blackpool and Bognor Regis for starters.
The Ladybird school of illustration is quite well represented, with not just Bognor above, but also this classic.
There are more besides, but my poster of the sale, for its pure distillation of 1950s camp has to be this one.
Oh I do wish there were estimates so I knew whether or not I could afford it.
It’s a shame it isn’t ByEck by Beck or indeed By Eck by Eckersley
Some fabulous 50’s imagery here, its finger in the air valuation time (again)…