: Education

There were a number of series of posters such as Outposts of Britain and Outposts of Empire that sought to educate the public about what the General Post Office did and how diverse its services were. By doing this the hope was people would better appreciate the organisation and be proud of it as a British institution. The posters also highlight the different methods used to deliver mail and the images on the posters illustrated these.  Many of the designs were innovative for example, blending photographs with typography and graphics. The thumbnails below are links to larger images and more information.

Royal Mail A.D. 1935 John Armstrong (1893-1973) Royal Mail A.D. 1935, 1935 [+]
Size: Quad Crown Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/3176 (PRD 0145)

Outposts of Britain: A postman in Northern Scotland Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890-1954) Outposts of Britain: A Postman in Northern Scotland, 1937 [+]
Size: Quad Crown Reference:The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/3182 (PRD 0201)

Outposts of Empire: Central Australia John Vickery (born 1906) Outposts of Empire: Central Australia, 1938 [+]
Size: Royal Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/2498 (PRD 0185)

All posters copyright © Royal Mail Group Ltd courtesy of the British Postal Museum & Archive unless stated otherwise. Contact k.stuckey@arts.ac.uk for more information.
The exhibition runs from 7th October - 4th November 2009 in the Well Gallery, London College of Communication, Elephant and Castle.

Online extras

Exclusively online, the three posters below represent one of the range of themes adopted by the General Post Office in their advertising.

The King's Messenger A.D. 1482 John Armstrong (1893-1973) The King's Messenger A.D. 1482, 1935 [+]
Size:Quad Crown Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/2484 (PRD 0057)

Mail Coach A.D. 1784 John Armstrong (1893-1973) Mail Coach A.D. 1784, 1935 [+]
Size: Quad Crown Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/3175

Loading mails at the docks in London, 1934 Harold Sandys ("H S") Williamson (1892-1978) Loading mails at the docks in London, 1934, 1934 [+]
Size: Quad Royal Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/3174B (PRD 0139)

All posters copyright © Royal Mail Group Ltd courtesy of the British Postal Museum & Archive unless stated otherwise. Contact k.stuckey@arts.ac.uk for more information.

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October 2009: Designs on Delivery: GPO Posters from 1930 to 1960

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