Pictures in the Fire : Hugh and Sally Gee : British Gas Council ; London ; 1947
A rather period childrens picture book telling the story of the manufacturing and utility of town gas and issued by the British Gas Council in 1947, a few months before the industry was Nationalised by the postwar Labour Government. By way of text, line drawings and twelve colour plates the history of 'fire' and the town gas industry is shown to Susan and Micahel by Mr Therm. Mr Therm was the gas industry's 'mascot' for many years; developed by artist and designer Eric Fraser in the early 1930s for the London Gas Light & Coke Company he was rapidly adopted for use across the whole industry. The language is, of course, very much of its time, including the furious fairy of the flames, Mr Therm himself!
The premise in the book is that gas is cleaner and more convienient when seen against the use of coal for domestic purposes and indeed, the production of town gas although an often messy business itself made better use of coal as a fuel and as a source of numerous by-products and chemical derivatives. These were after all the days before the whole issue of carbon release was fully understood and before the UK's coal gas production was phased out with the introduction of Natural Gas.
The book although produced by the Gas Council was designed and produced by no less than Adprint Ltd for A N Holden & Co Ltd, London & Birmingham. It was printed by Tapp and Toothill of Leeds and London.
Pictures in the Fire : Hugh and Sally Gee : British Gas Council ; London ; 1947
A rather period childrens picture book telling the story of the manufacturing and utility of town gas and issued by the British Gas Council in 1947, a few months before the industry was Nationalised by the postwar Labour Government. By way of text, line drawings and twelve colour plates the history of 'fire' and the town gas industry is shown to Susan and Micahel by Mr Therm. Mr Therm was the gas industry's 'mascot' for many years; developed by artist and designer Eric Fraser in the early 1930s for the London Gas Light & Coke Company he was rapidly adopted for use across the whole industry. The language is, of course, very much of its time, including the furious fairy of the flames, Mr Therm himself!
The premise in the book is that gas is cleaner and more convienient when seen against the use of coal for domestic purposes and indeed, the production of town gas although an often messy business itself made better use of coal as a fuel and as a source of numerous by-products and chemical derivatives. These were after all the days before the whole issue of carbon release was fully understood and before the UK's coal gas production was phased out with the introduction of Natural Gas.
The book although produced by the Gas Council was designed and produced by no less than Adprint Ltd for A N Holden & Co Ltd, London & Birmingham. It was printed by Tapp and Toothill of Leeds and London.