Second Class Lentils

Every so often I complain that Mr Crownfolio and I haven’t bought anything for ages, but I always forget that these things come in waves.  And this week just such a wave has come crashing in to shore.

R M Lander Morecambe British Railways poster

I’ve already mentioned the Morecambe poster, but the main interest is two lots of posters that were up for sale at a general auction in Cambridgeshire.  Lot one consisted of this Eckersley/Lombers masterpiece from the early years of WW2.

eckersley lombers green vegetables keep you fit world war two propaganda food poster

Twice.

Eckersley Lombers Green Vegetables Keep you Fit vintage World war two propaganda poster

Which is quite surprising, as I’ve only been able to track it down at auction once before (Onslows, 2004, fact fans).  So I think it’s probably fairly rare.  The second one clearly needs a bit of tlc, but I think it will be worth it.

The second lot was more of a rag-bag.  People can do terrible things to posters sometimes, just look at what has happened to this Lewitt-Him Vegetabull.

Lewitt-Him Vegetabull propaganda poster world war two cut down

But the two other posters that always, it seems, come together with it – a second Lewitt Him and James Fitton’s Turn Over a New Leaf are untampered with, I’m pleased to say.

Lewitt HIm The effects of over-cooking and keeping hot vintage world war two food poster

I’m assuming that they always end up in a group of three because they’re all about the same date, but maybe it’s because they’re all very good pieces of design which appeal to a certain sort of person.  Like me, for example.

James Fitton Turn Over a New Leaf world war two propaganda food poster

We now have three copies of the James Fitton, which even I can see is probably too many, and a bit like hoarding food in an emergency.

A couple of the other posters have been mounted on board.  In the case of this militant bread poster, that’s a bit of a shame.

Saving Bread poster vintage world war two propaganda

Funnily enough I don’t feel too much sorrow over the state of this one.

Food Groups vintage ww2 propaganda poster

Pleasingly, there were some other wartime posters in the lot which hadn’t seen quite so much service.  Whoever collected them clearly had a thing about cod liver oil.

Cod Liver Oil storks vintage world war two propaganda poster ministry of food

Jimmy's cod liver oil vintage world war two propaganda poster ministry of food HMSO

I also rather like this one, although interestingly it doesn’t have all of the usual HMSO/Ministry of Fuel information printed along the bottom.

Mr Therm save gas poster world war two

I wonder if this was actually issued by the gas companies themselves, especially as it’s using their trademark in the form of Mr Therm.  But with nothing written on the poster, that can only ever be a theory.

This, meanwhile, is not quite as exciting.

Mending taps world war two poster

But I’ve saved you the oddest poster for last.  It’s probably also the least valuable, because it’s hand made, collaged out of mostly bits of I don’t know what stuck onto card.

handmade world war two poster

Except, strange to relate, we do know where some of the bits came from, as we’ve had this 1930s poster for a while now.

1930s health poster

Full marks for recyling there.

Clearly we now have far too many posters, and some of these are going to have to be sold.  But they’re not posh enough for Christies, which means I really don’t know where they should go.  This is a problem that I will be returning to next week.  But if in the meantime you have any thoughts on the matter, please do put them in the box below.

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