‘History of flight’ has always been one of my all time favourite poster designs, created by Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890-1954) to advertise the Daily Herald Newspaper in 1919.
Although American-born, he was one of Britain’s most highly influential 20th Century Poster Artists and Graphic Designers. Greatly influenced by the European avant-garde, his early work shows the influence of Van Gogh and Toulouse-Latrec, while the ‘Devon’s Moore’ poster has a touch of Magritte about it with its slightly surreal abstracted landscape. At the time Kauffer and other designers like him were applauded for introducing modernism to the public through well designed posters displayed in public places.
An exhibition of his work is currently on show titled: The Poster King: Edward McKnight Kauffer and it runs until December 18 at The Estorick Collection, 39a Canonbury Square, London, N1 2AN.
Stonehenge
Edward McKnight Kauffer
1931
This is part of a series of advertisement McKnight did for Shell, which mix geometric, surrealist elements with a recognizable landscape.
Posters commissioned by Frank Pick for the London Underground, designed by Edward McKnight Kauffer (top left, 1931), Man Ray (top right, 1938), Misha Black & John Barker (bottom left, 1947) and Abram Games (bottom right, 1947).
(via dandymackay)
