Shell Art & Advertising

This beautifully designed and illustrated book explores in detail Shell’s remarkable archive of pictorial advertising art from its origins up to the 1960’s. Shell has a well-established reputation for this artistic heritage, particularly from its 1930’s heyday, but this is the first publication to present and describe it comprehensively. Examinations of the historical, political, and social contexts of Shell art and advertising enable the authors to assess the work’s broader cultural significance. By delving into the ways in which Shell’s publicity was conceived, commissioned, produced, and disseminated, the particular contributions made by artists and designers are highlighted, while broader questions such as Shell’s position within contemporary debates regarding the aesthetics and proper purpose of ＂Commercial Art＂ are explored. Drawing primarily on Shell’s extensive poster collection, as well as other contemporary sources, Shell Art & Advertising provides valuable insights into the development of commercial art in the UK. Featuring a wealth of fascinating images, this original publication will appeal to a broad readership from fans of Modern British Art to cultural historians.

Scott Anthony is a writer and historian based at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His books include Night Mail, The Projection of Britain, and Public Relations and the Making of Modern Britain. Oliver Green is former Head Curator and now Research Fellow at the London Transport Museum. He is currently a freelance historian, lecturer, and museums consultant. Margaret Timmers was formerly Senior Curator of Prints in the Word & Image Department of the V&A. She is the editor of Impressions of the Twentieth Century and Power of the Poster.