1928 Ethnography British Museum London Underground Austin Cooper Africa
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Date: 1928
Artist: Cooper, Austin
Size (in): 39.75” x 24”
Size (cm): 101 x 61
Condition: B
Linen backed: Yes
This vintage original and rare poster is one in a series of posters that the artist Austin Cooper created in 1928 for the London Underground promoting the British Museum as a travel destination. For this poster Cooper renders a modernist image of the 16th century Bronze Head of Queen Idia from the medieval Kingdom of Benin in West Africa, one of the many striking cultural artifacts held by the British Museum. The poster features the London Underground logo without the familiar rondel and indicates Holborn as the closest tube station to the British Museum. The lower margin has document code “REG. NO. 1254 – 1500 – 1/8/28” and indicates the printer as “Sanders Phillips & Co., Ltd. THE BAYNARD PRESS, Chryssell Road, S.W.9.”
This vintage original poster has been professionally conservation mounted to linen with some expert touchup as needed. Prior to linen backing the poster had two short tears on the top edge which had been repaired with a single piece of tape applied to each on verso many years ago. The poster showed some bumping to the edges, small corner creases and a couple short tears on the edges all of which were expertly repaired rendering a magnificent poster that displays beautifully. According to our research, this poster hasn’t appeared at auction since 2003. Prospective buyers are welcome to contact us for photos of the poster prior to linen backing.
