Old advertising is a fantastic way to peek into the social and business worlds of the past. Usually vibrant, clever, witty and artistically accomplished these works of art were created for one purpose only- to grab your attention and sell ! Early examples were usually painted onto wood, carved out of wood or printed. In 1816 the invention of two-colour lithography meant bright colours could finally be added to printed adverts and posters and then the invention of enamel signs from the 1860s onwards further revolutionised how people publicised their wares around the built environment.
Today antique and vintage advertising is as desirable as ever and looks great displayed on the wall. From hard wearing signs to fragile posters these items add character and are chocked full of the fashions and fads of the day. On a more personal scale business trade cards and labels have remained popular for hundreds of years but during the 19th Century the variety of ways to advertise grew to include far more unusual objects such as mirrors, bottles, match boxes and all manner of novelty items. This continued into the 20th Century to leave us a wealth of fantastic advertising objects.
At Love Antiques we have a fine selection of antique and vintage advertising for all your needs.
Sunnyside Antiques
Whisky Glass - Vintage Advertising
£ 78
Sunnyside Antiques
Advertising Stoneware Bottle
£ 69
Graham Smith Antiques Ltd
Edwardian Leaded Glass Shop Sign
£ 665
Cheshire Antiques Consultant
Enamel London Road Sign Borough of St Marylebone Old Quebec Street W1
£ 850
Enamel London Road Sign Borough of St Marylebone Old Quebec Street W1
£ 850
Cheshire Antiques Consultant
Deviantik
Vintage Boot Makers Brass Sign
£ 115
The Old Yard
Large Early 20th Century Advertising Sign
£ 800
Planet Antiques
Large Enamel Original Sign Wall Art
£ 325
£ 225
D and A Binder LTD
1920s Millinery Shop Sign
£ 630
£ 1,250
Newark Antiques and Interiors Ltd
Large Genuine Enamelled Lyons’ Tea Sign in Blue & Orange
£ 585
Large Genuine Enamelled Lyons’ Tea Sign in Blue & Orange
£ 585
Newark Antiques and Interiors Ltd
Deviantik
Brass & Enamelled Sign Makers Plaque
£ 99
£ 4,500
Pendle Antiques Limited
Wonderful Lead Pub Sign
£ 950
£ 875
Debenham Antiques Ltd
Decorative Blue Glass & Gold Boutique Shoe Shop Sign
£ 895
Debenham Antiques Ltd
Early 20th Century French Antique Street Shop Sign
£ 1,495
£ 1,695
Pair of Antique Butchery Pigs, English, Plaster, Shop Display Figure, Edwardian
£ 1,695
London Fine Ltd
Deviantik
Brass Music Teacher’s Sign
£ 135
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
Antique 20th Century Motor "BP" Spirit' Enamel Advertising Sign c.1910
£ 1,295
Antique 20th Century Motor "BP" Spirit' Enamel Advertising Sign c.1910
£ 1,295
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
Barcroft and Kidd
Early 20th Century, Pre-war, Enamel Advertising Sign
£ 225
Vintage House
Large Cast Iron Harrowden RD Roadsign
£ 175
Sovereign Antiques
James Purdey & Sons Established 1814 Shops Window Display
£ 795
Allsorts Antiques and Collectibles
Toby Bitter Pub Memorabilia
£ 75
Athey Antiques
Original Cadbury's Advertising Mirror
£ 595
D and A Binder LTD
1950s Remember Sabine Pass Sign
£ 330
£ 950
Antique Ship's Smoke Room Sign, English, Leather Frame, Decorative, Victorian
£ 950
London Fine Ltd
Deviantik
Doctors Name Plaque O’mahony Poole
£ 89
£ 79
Deviantik
Brass “Physician & Surgeon” Sign
£ 79
Deviantik
Brass “Enquires” Sign
£ 98
Deviantik
Brass Solicitors Name Plate
£ 56
Deviantik
Brass Manufacturers Sign “Wastell”
£ 56
Tales to Tell Antiques
Victorian Painted Cast Iron Embossing Press Stamp
£ 25
Graham Smith Antiques Ltd
Great Portland Street Underground Sign
£ 995
£ 485
Fitchett & Wooltacott Ltd - A Specimen Wood Timber Shop Display, Framed
£ 485
The Flock of Arts
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
James Bond 007 - Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, Craig Signatures
£ 2,295
James Bond 007 - Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, Craig Signatures
£ 2,295
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
Original James Bond 'For Your Eyes Only' Poster, c.1981
£ 895
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
Original James Bond 007 'Moonraker' Film (us Advance) Poster, c.1979
£ 795
Original James Bond 007 'Moonraker' Film (us Advance) Poster, c.1979
£ 795
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
Original James Bond 007 'Moonraker' British Quad Film Poster, c.1979
£ 1,595
Original James Bond 007 'Moonraker' British Quad Film Poster, c.1979
£ 1,595
Pushkin Antiques Ltd
People have been advertising their wares for thousands of years scratching into bricks and painting wooden signs and pottery. However the emergence of the printing press meant that from the 17th Century onwards printed advertising became cheap and easy to produce through newspapers, gazettes, magazines, flyers, and journals. Better quality images through copper plate processes emerged from the mid 18th Century and colour tones began to be printed from the start of the 19th Century. While the approach to advertising has not really changed over the years, the sheer quantity has, in part due to even more mediums emerging such as radio, television and internet.
Most collectors of old advertising are drawn to the works for their own unique reasons, either because of the subject, Era or artwork. Enamel signs and posters are the most popular fields collected due to their variety and versatility. In each case condition and rarity determine the price, but all forms of advertising are collected from labels, cards and signs to far more unusual novelty items.
The first known purpose made advertisements were written onto Papyrus and date to at least 3000 B.C from ancient Egypt. However people will have been scratching their shop or business name on to wood or clay even before that.
In an era when marketing focuses primarily on the future, the purpose of retro advertising art is to transport us back to the past where life is simpler. This type of advertising tells us about the fashions, fads and innovations from years gone by. If we were alive at that time it can remind us of who we were at the time, and if the advert is older than us we can still be transported in our mind to that other era.