Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Clifford & Rosemary Ellis
London Transport Original 1937 Poster Travels in Time Clifford & Rosemary Ellis

1937

About the Item

To see our other original vintage travel posters including more pre-war London Transport posters, and original paintings by Clifford Ellis, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the poster you want. Clifford and Rosemary Ellis Travels in Time on your Doorstep Lithographic poster for London Transport, 1937 Printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd 40×25″ London Transport was the fore-runner of London Underground. During the 1930s London Transport commissioned over forty posters a year from well-known artists such as Laura Knight, CRW Nevinson, Edward Wadsworth, Eric Ravilious, Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland and Edward McKnight Kauffer – a bold policy that did much to popularise avant-garde artistic styles that stemmed from Cubism, Futurism and Abstraction. Such an influence is clear in the Ellises poster ‘It’s better to shop early’ in which arms, hands and parcels are disjointed and angular with the text on a slant, like the collaged newsprint insertions of synthetic Cubism. Born in Bognor in Sussex and trained at St Martin’s School of Art and Regent Street Polytechnic, Ellis was a graphic artist and illustrator who is best known for the posters he produced for London Transport during the 1930s. He generally collaborated with his wife Rosemary – whom he married in 1931 – on their posters. The General Post Office, Shell, and The Empire Marketing Board were also clients for their posters. They signed their posters C&RE, their initials being in alphabetical order and they are readily recognisable by their ebullient use of colour and form. Employed during the war as a camoufleur, along with so many other artists, Clifford was also an official war artist, serving with the Grenadier Guards. Rosemary, meanwhile, was an artist for the Recording Britain project. Following the war they trained art teachers at Bath Academy of Art. They also designed a series of nearly one hundred book jackets for Collins New Naturalist series, published between 1945 and 1982. Running an art college, Ellis did not want to train artists who then ended up as teachers because they could not find work as artists. Instead he sought to train them as art teachers which gave them an alternative if they failed to make it as artists. Bath was staffed with artists who are household names today. Upon the outbreak of war, William Scott returned to England from France and sought employment from Ellis, being given a part-time job. After serving in the Royal Engineers he returned to the staff in 1946.  Kenneth Armitage, (who ended the war as a Major having specialised in recognition of tanks, aircraft and other machines of war - which he regarded as fitting neatly with his interest in sculpture) took on teaching sculpture from 1946 - William Turnbull standing in for him whilst he taught for a few months. Early in the 1950s, Scott suggested Peter Lanyon, Bryan Wynter and Terry Frost be approached to teach and Ellis gave them part-time roles, two or three days per week, or six-week blocks of teaching. Amongst other household names feature Robyn Denny, Gillian Ayres, and Adrian Heath. The influences of some of these artists may be seen in the abstract paintings, although a common thread - Ellis's hand - ties the works together, some of Scott may perhaps be seen in the spotty works and Lanyon perhaps in the Collages. The Sailing Boats are interesting, as - turned on their side - they look very much like a Terry Frost 'Walk Along A Quay' yet the sketches make it quite clear which way round they were to be. Meanwhile the landscape works with clearly defined patchworks are strangely reminiscent of Adrian Heath's works of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
  • Creator:
  • Creation Year:
    1937
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Backed to linen. For customers in the UK only there is a frame included in the price.
  • Gallery Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU79534265632

More From This Seller

View All
1944 UK poster: Great Britain's War Effort (Taxation) - World War II propaganda
Located in London, GB
To see our other original vintage propaganda posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot fin...
Category

1940s Modern More Prints

Materials

Lithograph

1944 UK poster: Great Britain's War Effort (Munitions) - World War II propaganda
Located in London, GB
To see our other original vintage propaganda posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot fin...
Category

1940s Modern More Prints

Materials

Lithograph

The Capitals of the Commonwealth Original National Savings Poster c. 1950
Located in London, GB
To see our other vintage public information posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller". The Capitals of the Commonwealth Origin...
Category

1950s Modern More Prints

Materials

Lithograph

1960s UK Army Recruitment poster, Join the Regular Army Junior Leaders' Unit
By John Godfrey Bernard Worsley
Located in London, GB
John Godfrey Bernard Worsley (1919-2000) - attributed Join the Regular Army through a Junior Leaders' Unit Original UK Army recruitment poster c....
Category

1960s Modern More Prints

Materials

Lithograph

1960 UK Army Recruitment poster, The Royal Dragoons - Men in Armour
Located in London, GB
Anonymous The Royal Dragoons - Men in Armour UK Army Recruitment Poster Original lithographic poster 76x51cm Published by Her Majesty’s Stationary Off...
Category

1950s Modern More Prints

Materials

Lithograph

1959 UK Army Recruitment poster, Join the New Regular Army Wireless Operator
By John Godfrey Bernard Worsley
Located in London, GB
John Godfrey Bernard Worsley (1919-2000) - attributed A Soldier of the Queen - Join the New Regular Army Original UK Army recruitment poster c. 1960 75x501cm Printed for H.M. Station...
Category

1950s Modern More Prints

Materials

Lithograph

You May Also Like

Poster for Peace
By Robert Rauschenberg
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color offset lithograph with strong colors. Signed, dated and numbered 230/250 in pencil by Rauschenberg. Published by S...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Prints

Materials

Color, Lithograph, Offset

Deux Têtes
By Karel Appel
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph on Arches. Signed, dated and numbered 141/200 in pencil by Appel.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Prints

Materials

Color, Lithograph

WPA-Era Central City, Colorado, 1930s Modernist Lithograph, Cityscape 3/25
By Arnold Rönnebeck
Located in Denver, CO
This 1933 lithograph, Central City, Colorado 3/25, by Arnold Rönnebeck, captures the architectural essence of a historic mining town during the Great Depression. Rendered in black an...
Category

1930s American Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Forehead II
By James Rosenquist
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this early color lithograph on Arches paper. One of 6 numbered artist's proofs, aside from the edition of 96. Signed, titled, dated, inscribed "Artist's Pro...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Prints

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Busy Signal
By James Rosenquist
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph with collage of screenprinted reflective Mylar on Arches. One of 9 numbered artist's proofs, aside from the edition of 84. Signed, tit...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Prints

Materials

Mylar, Color, Lithograph, Screen

Two Women Bathing Child II
By Henry Moore
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph. One of 25 numbered artist's proofs, aside from the edition of 50. Signed, inscribed "AP" and numbered X/XXV in pencil by Moore. Print...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Prints

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All