1994 Original British Poster, Keep Britain Tidy: Mess-Age (The 100 Best Posters Collection)

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Date: 1994
Size: 20.5 x 28.5 inches
Artist: F.H.K. Henrion
Printer: Toppan Printing Co.

About The 100 Best Posters Collection: … Read more Date: 1994
Size: 20.5 x 28.5 inches
Artist: F.H.K. Henrion
Printer: Toppan Printing Co.

About The 100 Best Posters Collection: This poster was originally created by F.H.K. Henrion in 1962 for a cleanliness campaign. This is an official reissue from 1994 from the collection The 100 best posters from Europe and the United States / 1945-1990.

"In describing the rationale behind this portfolio, Hiromichi Fujita, the President of Toppan Printing Co., explains in the introduction that, "the decision to publish The 100 Best Posters from Europe and the United States 1945-1990 was motivated by our earlier collection of Japanese reproductions published four years ago . . . the first collection was intended as a small contribution to the field of graphic design, which has enjoyed an inseparable relationship with the printing industry for many years now." The selection of posters in this collection were chosen by a panel consisting of Steven Heller, Alain Weill, Milton Glaser and Yusaku Kamekura. All posters chosen (...) were reproduced and were then donated to art museums and related educational institutions in 200 locations around the world. In addition to being forms of expression, these posters, which were created in the diverse social conditions that have prevailed since the end of World War II, truly serve as a testament to the age in which they were produced." (Source: swanngalleries.com)

About the poster: For this humorous poster, Henrion entreats his compatriots to cleanliness by depicting a lion and unicorn, the two animals that appear on the royal British arms. The unicorn japs a piece of litter with its horn, as street cleaners do with a metal spike, while in the background, the lion holds a waste basket to collect the paper. A final witticism in the form of wordplay reinforces the humorous approach: the word message is split in two--mess-age. This clever, affectionate supplication adds further life to Henrion's gentle graphic style. (Source: The 100 best posters from Europe and the United States / 1945-1990, p.86)

This poster is in good condition and ready to be framed. See less