Trade Winds : publicity book : United Steel Companies Limited : Sheffield : 1948 : Trade Winds No. 7 : Hakluyt's Proud Dedication : Eric Fraser
In 1948 the Sheffield based iron and steel conglomerate The United Steel Companies issued a series of twelve adverts based on the theme of "Trade Winds"; using the dictionary meaning alongside John Masefield's pem of the same name ten artists were commissioned to produce painting appropropiate to the various themes. The adverts were issued to show that Britain's trade and prosperity was based on "the ability of free men and unfettered enterprise' and it is worth contextualising this in terms of the new post-War Labour Government that would nationalise the Iron and Steel industries as well as the now more nuanced view of the impact that "unfettered enterprise" had at both home and abroad.
As well as issuing the twelve adverts as a collection USC also produced a very fine limited edition volume of the twelve artworks with suitable text written and edited by Douglas Wilson. The book was put together by their advertising agents, Rowlinson-Broughton of Manchester and was printed by the noted Country Press of Bradford, Percy Lund, Humphries on splendedly good paper and set in Monotype Times New Roman. The understated covers were designed by W.F. Briggs and an additonal touch is that all ten artists have signed the title page. They really are a range of amongst the best commercial artists and illustrators of the day; Gordon Nichol, John Nunney, Lance Cattermole, Eric Fraser, Anna and Doris Zinkeisen, W. Dawson-Thomson, Rowland Hilder and Charles Pears. I've only be able to scan a few here as the book is very tightly bound and I do not want to split the boards.
It follows on from a similar 1946 publication issued by the company : This Present Age that contains another twelve adverts, issued in that year, and by Anna and Doris Zinkeisen.
Trade Winds : publicity book : United Steel Companies Limited : Sheffield : 1948 : Trade Winds No. 7 : Hakluyt's Proud Dedication : Eric Fraser
In 1948 the Sheffield based iron and steel conglomerate The United Steel Companies issued a series of twelve adverts based on the theme of "Trade Winds"; using the dictionary meaning alongside John Masefield's pem of the same name ten artists were commissioned to produce painting appropropiate to the various themes. The adverts were issued to show that Britain's trade and prosperity was based on "the ability of free men and unfettered enterprise' and it is worth contextualising this in terms of the new post-War Labour Government that would nationalise the Iron and Steel industries as well as the now more nuanced view of the impact that "unfettered enterprise" had at both home and abroad.
As well as issuing the twelve adverts as a collection USC also produced a very fine limited edition volume of the twelve artworks with suitable text written and edited by Douglas Wilson. The book was put together by their advertising agents, Rowlinson-Broughton of Manchester and was printed by the noted Country Press of Bradford, Percy Lund, Humphries on splendedly good paper and set in Monotype Times New Roman. The understated covers were designed by W.F. Briggs and an additonal touch is that all ten artists have signed the title page. They really are a range of amongst the best commercial artists and illustrators of the day; Gordon Nichol, John Nunney, Lance Cattermole, Eric Fraser, Anna and Doris Zinkeisen, W. Dawson-Thomson, Rowland Hilder and Charles Pears. I've only be able to scan a few here as the book is very tightly bound and I do not want to split the boards.
It follows on from a similar 1946 publication issued by the company : This Present Age that contains another twelve adverts, issued in that year, and by Anna and Doris Zinkeisen.