Comments for Quad Royal

Comment on That’s Shell, that was by crownfolio

crownfolio — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:59:25 +0000

Thank you, that’s brilliant and much appreciated. But as you say, an odd material and an odd size. I shall have to try and go and see them one day.

Comment on That’s Shell, that was by DR G

DR G — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:04:53 +0000

Well I can answer most of the questions you ask – all except one. The building, known as Shell Corner, Kingsway, was by the modernist architect Thomas Tait, designed in 1914-15 and built in 1919-20. Shell-Mex House on the Strand was built in 1930-31 when Shell Corner became too small. The oil paintings produced by McKnight Kauffer (probably 7 in total) depict oil refining processes and general uses of petrol. The one above the ‘M’ of Motor Spirit shows an oil refinery, the one next to it a Shell laboratory. The original artwork is oil on, what looks like, metal – maybe copper (they are in the Shell Art Collection, framed and under glass which makes it difficult to see the material). But they are 54 x 45 cm in size, not the size shown in this photograph. I can only assume that one-off printed versions were made. Why Kauffer produced them on a durable material, and at the small size is the bit I can’t answer. I have a slightly different version of the photograph. It’s taken from the same vantage point but with less people in view.

Comment on Miscellania by crownfolio

crownfolio — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:11:20 +0000

Well that’s one more thing than I know, and a proper poster fact to boot, so thank you.

Comment on Miscellania by Neil J

Neil J — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:25:59 +0000

Great post, the only thing I know about UK movie posters is that pre-1945 titles rarely survived the intense WWII paper-drives, so that paper from that period tends to attract a premium. If it’s a solid, country-of-origin title like Brief Encounter, they are worth many thousands.

Comment on Miscellania by crownfolio

crownfolio — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:09 +0000

I didn’t see that on eBay (we’ve been rather busy recently) but it’s interesting. I’m not entirely sure that it was a bargain, as poster artwork tends, when I’ve seen it, not to go for as much as a poster sometimes. But as for why the LT Museum didn’t have it in the first place, who knows?

The rest of the Harry Stevens are, um, more deservedly cheap really aren’t they? Although it’s a reminder of just how much of a British film industry there was then.

Comment on Survivors by crownfolio

crownfolio — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:59:40 +0000

Thank you so much for that – it is really useful to know. I had no idea that the GPO also sold their posters, let alone that they developed enough of a system to have an order form.

Comment on Survivors by Rik Shepherd

Rik Shepherd — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:37:55 +0000

If I'd known there was interest in cut-down & framed posters in-situ, I'd have taken pictures of my parents bedroom before we started clearing the house. They had trimmed and framed copies of the GPO "Use Your Correct Address" posters of Eilean Donan (John Minton) and Brookland (David Knight) on the wall for at least the last decade. We've also found a trimmed copy of Minton's Iwerne Abbey, a trimmed and framed Minton Greenwich which I vaguely remember being on the walls in the 60s & 70s, and what we think is a trimmed David Knight Polruan. Dad seems to have got the Minton posters in April 1957 by writing to the Mount Pleasant offices. The three cost 3s 0d in total (1/6d for Iwerne, 1s for Greenwich and 6d for Eilean Donan) and were sent out with a note from a Mr R. Weeber giving the prices and the rather polite request "Perhaps you will kindly forward a remittance for 3s.0d. in due course." Mr Weeber noted that there where no other pictoral posters available, that the GPO was unable to give anyone a list of what posters were available, and that thier current posters were displayed at larger post offices. In 1967, dad tried to order the Post Office Savings Bank 'Fulmer, Slough' poster from the PR department at St Martin's-le-Grand. Miss S Scott pointed out that the GPO didn't handle Savings Bank posters, but enclosed "a combined list and order form for sale copies of our "Correct Address" series". So in the ten years between the two orders, the GPO had gone from having no lists at all to being able to send out order forms. There's progress. We don't have the order form, but there's another note giving the prices for the David Knight series: Polruan or St. David's Cathedral 3/6d, Brookland 6d.

Comment on Miscellania by William

William — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:15:06 +0000

A great set of Electricity posters – the final poster is by Leonard Rosoman. The Hans Unger original was a complete bargain (see below)! I’m surprised London Transport didn’t own the original since the poster went into production …

Comment on Miscellania by mm

mm — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:39:06 +0000

…and a few more Harry Stevens film posters…

http://www.cqout.com/item.asp?id=16442504

http://www.rarefilmposters.com/product93410107catno1870107.html

http://www.rarefilmposters.com/product1208910107catno1900107.html

Comment on Miscellania by mm

mm — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:15:24 +0000

On the Hans Unger theme…Did you see this on eBay recently?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-Painting-Hans-Unger-used-by-London-Transport-for-1956-poster-Springtime-/221210074610?pt=UK_Collectables_Railwayana_RL&hash=item338125ddf2&nma=true&si=bu8qBsiSBO2UA1gMrRmktsxZOPI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557#ht_342wt_1399