Designs on Delivery: GPO Posters from 1930 to 1960: Post Early
The Post Early Campaigns were designed for two reasons: to educate people about seasonal postal dates; and to encourage people not to post at the end of the day, thereby allowing for a more efficient delivery time. Many featured stylised clocks or incorporated objects into the graphics objects such as dinner plate becoming the backdrop for text. More illustrative designs were considered but many of these were not used, the message being more obscure. The thumbnails below are links to larger images and more information.
Vanessa Bell (1879-1961) The Last Minute, 1935 [+]
Size: Royal Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/2489 (PRD 0112)
Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890-1954) Post during lunch hour, 1937 [+]
Size: Double Crown Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/2491 (PRD 0155)
Jan Lewitt (1907-1991) and George Him (1900-1982) Post your letters before noon, 1941 [+]
Size: Quad Crown Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/3184 (PRD 0238)
Leonard Beaumont (1891-1986) Post early. Parcels by Dec: 18. Letters by Dec: 20, 1947 [+]
Size: Crown folio Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/1217 (PRD 0498)
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 two posters below represent one of the range of themes adopted by the General Post Office in their advertising.
Graham Sutherland (1903-1980) Post Early, 1934 [+] Size: Crown folio Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/1439 (PRD 0087)
Hans Unger (1915-1974) Post early: Parcels & packets by Thursday Dec. 18; Letters & cards by Saturday Dec. 20, 1956 [+]
Size: Double Crown Reference: The Royal Mail Archive POST 110/2537 (PRD 0987)
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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