I’ve said it before, and I will no doubt get around to saying it again, but Harry Stevens is a very underestimated poster artist. That thought is mostly provoked by this 1954 poster, which we bought a copy of recently, (although one which I have to admit is slightly more battered than this picture).
It’s good, isn’t it? And so’s this.
And indeed this.
Mr Crownfolio wonders every so often whether that poster is Harry Stevens gently taking the mickey out of Daphne Padden’s sailor types.
Or perhaps fishermen were just picturesque visitor attractions all over the 1950s. Who can say.
But back to Mr Stevens. There are two things to say about him really. One is that he is so thoroughly overlooked that there is very little out there on the web about him at all. In fact pretty much the only biography I can find is that on the London Transport Museum website, and even that is pretty short.
The other is that he wasn’t overlooked at the time. He regularly turns up in annuals of good taste like ‘Designers in Britain’ and, as the LTM biography says, won the Council of Industrial Design Poster Award in 1963. So why is he so little known now?
It can’t be because his work has disappeared, beacause he has to be one of the most prolific poster artists of his generation, working right through into the 1970s. This somewhat perplexing poster dates from 1971 for example.
He did quite a bit of this cartoon-style work for the GPO. Some of it is as good as anything he ever did, like this owl from 1960.
By the end of the decade, it goes get a bit repetitive and less appealing, probably just because he produced so many of the things.
But don’t let that put you off his work, because he did do some really good posters too. Perhaps some of his most adventurous designs were for London Transport. Here are two he did in 1961 and 1963 respectively.
But he could also do a much more graphic treatment for them too – I keep mistaking this particular poster for an Eckersley, although it does in fact date from 1976..
In terms of sale prices, even his later work is now starting to fetch higher prices and be sold by posh dealers, as I’ve mentioned before.
But he’s still not really a name, and I do think this is an unfair omission. Possibly he is just a bit too jovial for modern tastes. Then Tom Eckersley can tend that way too, particularly in the 1950s.
Stevens’ work definitely deserves better. He was capable of producing a good poster right into the 197os.
But for me, the posters he did in the 1950s and early 1960s are still some of my favourite things. Interestingly, he seems to have done relatively few for British Railways – this Porthcawl is one of the very few I can find.
Along with this artwork of yet another salty sea dog.
In contrast, the coach companies kept him very busy indeed.
On the basis of those alone, he deserves to be better appreciated.
A final addendum, the London Transport Museum lists him as a designer and fine artist, but the only trace I have been able to find of the latter is this, ‘Spirit of Southern’.
The painting was commissioned by BR Southern Region in 1969 (not something that would ever happen now) but wasn’t very popular apparently and rarely got displayed. But if anyone knows of any more artworks of his around and about, please do let me know as I would love to see them.
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Harry Stevens was my uncle. I’ve always liked his artwork, but sadly have inherited none of his artistic talent. I too would love to see more of his work, especially the poster he painted for the film “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning”. My father used to tell an amusing story of Harry’s meeting with Albert Finney. Anyway, if you have any further information about any of his works email me.
Thank you for getting in contact – I would love to hear your father’s story about Harry Stevens and Albert Finney if you wouldn’t mind telling it!
My Uncle Harry grew up in Miles Platting in Manchester. He had two siblings, one of whom was my father, who died in 1996, and four half-siblings. They grew up in a poor working class environment typical of that time and location. Harry was best man at my father’s wedding, but thereafter they saw little of each other. There was no animosity that I was aware of, it was simply a question of them living their own lives in different parts of the country. My father remained in Manchester whereas Harry moved to the New Forest, exactly when I don’t know. I only met Harry twice – once when he attended my father’s funeral, having made the journey up from Hampshire by train, and once when I visited him at his home, where he had his studio, a year later. Ths story my father told was that when Albert Finney arrived for his sitting he was in actor mode and spoke in an accent that was presumably meant to impress. However, as soon as he discovered where my uncle was from he dropped the pretence immediately (Albert Finney is from Salford) and reverted to his original accent. The story may, of course, be apocryphal. I have not had chance to hear Mr. Finney’s version of events.
One more thing that has just occurred to me. Harry drew a number of posters for the “Guinness is good for you” campaign(s) back in the 60s/70s(?). I remember seeing them, but where or when I can’t recall.
Thank you for that, I appreciate it very much. In fact I may well mention it on the blog proper, as it deserves a wider audience.
Hi
I seem to of inherited a Harry Stevens original sketch/watercolour along the lines
of ‘spirit of southern
any ideas what I can do with it. It seem it might be of interest
That does sound interesting, although sadly original art works don’t usually fetch as much as posters.
Try Googling Salford Museum and Art Gallery (I haven’t tried this myself yet — I’m on the way.) for a beautiful piece of his fine art. I’ve only seen it in repro, taken from a website I think. It looks like a watercolour: “Saint Paul” 1949.
I can’t find that, but it sounds really interesting – if you can post a link to it, I’d be really grateful.
Dear Trevor,
I am a student currently working on a project for TFL London rereleasing past posters onto the Underground as a curation project. One of our choices is Harry stevens 1973 Windmill sightseeing poster. My group was wondering whether you had any information about the artist and his links with TFL and any interesting facts?
Kind regards,
Lizzie
Everything I know is on this blog, I’m afraid. Can anyone else help?