Today’s poster. An elegant Potez 56 family member (probably a Potez 560) very similar looking from this angle to the Airspeed Envoy, both first flying in 1934, though the designs were in other aspects and angles, quite different. I like the dynamic aircraft painted look over a screen-printed static feeling skyscape, landscape and sea. And…
Multi-National Smiths
I don’t think I’ve seen a better illustration of the intent and concept of the 24 hour bomber campaign by the British, Commonwealth and Free European nations night campaign led by the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command, and the increasingly effective day campaign of the United States Army Air Force against Nazi Germany, here from…
Fokker One
Motor magazine, April 1917. The Great War (1914 – 1918) saw an explosion of poster and pictorial artwork to help prosecute the war, by all of the combatant nations. It was the social media of the era. As well as government advertising, companies worked hard to bring their war brand to public notice, and among…
‘Swiped’ Biggles Repeat
Here’s a fascinating one. On the right, an Alfred Sindall illustration first published in the 1937 ‘Biggles Air Commodore’ by W.E. Johns. (The other Sindall illustrations are posted on the Biggles page here. He was the main illustrator for the Oxford University Press published Biggles stories of the late thirties and early forties.) On the…
Roundel Eyes on the Prize
One of the most famous UK advertising campaigns ever. One of a series of posters, this one features a typical British fighter, something akin to a Spitfire or Hurricane, but here notable in that the roundels have been neatly transformed into eyes, fixed on the advertising subject Guinness. Originally John Gilroy’s art featured a self-portrait…
Littering Information
A flight information brochure, from an era when most of the few who flew, only flew a few times. The format is interesting, as it’s an eyecatching way of presenting a list. In the era, littering was not acceptable, but of course the paper trail is only artistic licence anyway. Subject Ansett Airlines Douglas DC-3…
Short Sealand
Today’s poster. A favourite type of mine, but one of those 1950s style illustrations that are so much of their time. Here, a brochure cover (I think) and while the (unknown) artist’s handled the overall design more than competently, and it’s an attractive one, his perspective on the aircraft (cockpit and tail) is a bit…
Tintin At Ninety
Today*, the immortal cartoon character Tintin is ninety years old, as it’s ninety years since he first appeared in print. A few years ago, a series of aircraft and cars, each accompanied by a character from the books was released. As well as a number that are iconic and crucial to the plots, a few…
Boulton Paul & Stations North
Today’s poster. A neat typographic effort by the Boulton Paul aircraft company, thirties font in fine form. But that logo. Certainly it’s a combination of a roundel and the name, but it also looks rather like the very identifiable London Underground roundel logo, still in use, and globally recognised today. Intentional similarity? Some gap to…
Venetian Aviator Memorial
Fame transitions. To many Italians, ‘Pierluigi Penzo’ is a Venetian sports stadium, in the same way for tennis fans, ‘Roland Garros’ is a tennis tournament, not a 1900s aviator. But aeronaut Pier Luigi Penzo (born, Venice 5 May 1896, died 29 September 1928) is also remembered by this beautiful memorial in one of Venice’s treasured…
A Year of Aviation Illustration & Art 