British Council Collection
Mrs Phyllis Mabey donated this collection of over 300 posters to the British Council. In August 1977, she wrote: "I should be very glad to hand the collection to The British Council as a gift, as I feel sure that it could not be in better hands, and it will be kept as a collection and not broken up.I wish that the collection be preserved as an entity and that it should be known as the ALAN MABEY COLLECTION."
This collection was originally administered and toured by General Exhibitions Department whose work, over the years, became subsumed into Design Department. In 1996 the poster collection was handed over to Visual Arts Department.
The bulk of the collection covers the first half of the century and includes prime examples of London Transport posters from the 1920s and 30s designed by commercial artists such as Edward McKnight Kauffer, Tom Purvis and Frank Newbould, some 40 posters commissioned by Shell from artists such as Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland and Ben Nicholson, posters advertising various department stores, dry cleaners, hair styling products and the like. There are also a number of early theatre posters by Dudley Hardy and John Hassall, as well as advertising posters by Aubrey Beardsley for magazines. Since the bequest the collection was augmented by post-war works by leading British artists and designers acquired by General Exhibition Department.
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THE CLOTHES THEY WORE WHEN GRANNY WAS A GIRL! 1922
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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IT IS WARMER DOWN BELOW TRAVEL IN COMFORT BY UNDERGROUND 1924
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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ACCOUTREMENTS. UNITED SERVICES MUSEUM 1928
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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BRITISH MUSEUM ETHNOGRAPHY 1928
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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AMERICA BRITISH MUSEUM 1930
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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VISIT QUEEN ELIZABETH I'S HUNTING-LODGE, CHINGFORD 1931
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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VISIT THE ROYAL DEER PARK. ESTABLISHED BY THE KING 1635 RICHMOND PARK 1931
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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VISIT THE QUEEN'S STATE APARTMENTS; KENSINGTON PALACE; QUEEN ANNE 1931
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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SOUVENIRS IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM 1932
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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CERAMICS AT THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM 1932
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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OBJETS D'ART. WALLACE COLLECTION 1932
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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LONDON'S LEISURE HOURS ENJOY THE ACTOR PERSONATIONS 1933
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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LONDON'S LEISURE HOURS. STUDY THE ARTIST'S MASTERPIECES 1933
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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LONDON'S LEISURE HOURS ENJOY THE ACTOR PERSONATIONS 1933
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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COUNTRY WALKS. BY LONDON TRANSPORT 1936
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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SATURDAY'S 'MORNING POST' SERVES THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE NO DATE
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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CHOSEN BY TRAVELLERS OF DISCERNMENT IN 1924 NO DATE
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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YARDLEY'S OLD ENGLISH LAVENDER SOAP - AFTER AN OLD PRINT NO DATE
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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INCORPORATED BY BRITISH CHARTER 1839 NO DATE
Austin Cooper (1890 – 1964)
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A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum
Sydney Cornford
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BARNET. HADLEY WOODS BY TRAM 1923
Aldo Cosmati (1895 – )
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EDGEWARE BY TRAM 1923
Aldo Cosmati (1895 – )
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HASTINGS & ST LEONARDS
Elijah Albert Cox (1876 – 1955)
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LONDON CHARACTERS - THE NEWS BOY 1920
Elijah Albert Cox (1876 – 1955)
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LONDON CHARACTERS - COVENT GARDEN PORTER 1920
Elijah Albert Cox (1876 – 1955)