It's impossible not to leaf through Modern British Posters without experiencing a wistful longing for times past. For despite the vicissitudes of the eras represented, one thing was remarkably constant; the sheer brilliance of public art and design.
Paul Rennie is an expert and dealer in the objects, artwork and ephemera of this golden age of British design. His new monograph brings together the many and various aspects of the British poster, the application of pure graphic art or delightful illustration to such ends as public information, education and entertainment.
The big players in this happy collision of aesthetic ambition and raw talent are well known; London Transport, Shell, the Post Office, and the government itself, all working alongside artists like Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland, Manfreid Reiss, and many, many more. The resulting outpouring of graphic art shaped a generation's visual sensibilities, as well as an ongoing lament for its apparent passing.
We love a poster as much as the next publication, and the internet has seen a resurgence of interest in both these originals and the art of publicity art. But until an enlightened official body picks up the baton and ushers in a new era of public graphic art, Rennie's excellent retrospective will have to suffice.
’Rye Marshes’, Paul Nash, 1932, 30 x 45", Shell Mex & BP. (p63)
’Explorers Prefer Shell’, Edward McKnight Kauffer, 1934, 30 x 45", Shell Mex & BP. (p81)
’Footballers Prefer Shell’, Paul Nash, 1932, 30 x 45", Shell Mex & BP. (p88)
’Prevent Falls’, Tom Eckersley, 1940s, DC (30 x 20"), The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. (p105)
’Wear Goggles’, Tom Eckersley, 1940s, DC (30 x 20"), The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. (p105)
’Examine Ladders’, Tom Eckersley, 1940s, DC (30 x 20"), The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. (p105)
’Stow Tools Safely’, Tom Eckersley, 1940s, DC (30 x 20"), The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. (p105)
-
Mytheresa’s new St Moritz ‘concierge’ is a Wes Anderson-esque wonderlandStudio Boum has designed the ephemeral ‘members’ club’ in the Alpine town, which will see the fashion e-retailer host a series of events and workshops over the ski season
-
Sir Devonshire Square is a new kind of hotel for the City of LondonA Dutch hospitality group makes its London debut with a design-forward hotel offering a lighter, more playful take on the City’s usual formality
-
The ring’s the thing as Pebble launches a discreet device for memo-taking, Index Ring 01A tiny device with a singular purpose but limitless applications, the Pebble Index 01 is a customisable smart ring for turning mental notes into text
-
Nadia Lee Cohen distils a distant American memory into an unflinching new photo book‘Holy Ohio’ documents the British photographer and filmmaker’s personal journey as she reconnects with distant family and her earliest American memories
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThe rain is falling, the nights are closing in, and it’s still a bit too early to get excited for Christmas, but this week, the Wallpaper* team brought warmth to the gloom with cosy interiors, good books, and a Hebridean dram
-
Inside Davé, Polaroids from a little-known Paris hotspot where the A-list playedChinese restaurant Davé drew in A-list celebrities for three decades. What happened behind closed doors? A new book of Polaroids looks back
-
Inside the process of creating the one-of-a-kind book edition gifted to the Booker Prize shortlisted authorsFor over 30 years each work on the Booker Prize shortlist are assigned an artisan bookbinder to produce a one-off edition for the author. We meet one of the artists behind this year’s creations
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThis week, the Wallpaper* editors curated a diverse mix of experiences, from meeting diamond entrepreneurs and exploring perfume exhibitions to indulging in the the spectacle of a Middle Eastern Christmas
-
14 of the best new books for music buffsFrom music-making tech to NME cover stars, portable turntables and the story behind industry legends – new books about the culture and craft of recorded sound
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
A life’s work: Hans Ulrich Obrist on art, meaning and being drivenAs the curator, critic and artistic director of Serpentine Galleries publishes his memoir, ‘Life in Progress’, he tells us what gets him out of bed in the morning
