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.
Extremely Rare 1971 Original Led Zeppelin "Electric Magic" Concert Poster
£ 2,100
Lifestyle Warehouse
Limited Edition 'Little Stanley Sleeping', 1987 Signed David Hockney
£ 15,000
Marlborough Antiques & Interiors
Large Enamel Pictorial Sausage Sign, Palethorps Royal Cambridge
£ 1,250
Elmgarden Antiques
Antique Bieckert Pilsen Beer Advertising Penknife Bottle Opener Folding Pocket Knife, Solingen, Art Nouveau
£ 265
RegencySilver Antiques
Novelty Antique Sheffield "Seager's Dry Gin" Bottle Advertising Penknife Folding Pocket Knife, SE8 London Interest
£ 119
RegencySilver Antiques
Rare Antique Mason's OK Sauce Bottle Advertising Penknife Folding Pocket Knife, Joseph Allen Sheffield
£ 139
RegencySilver Antiques
British Post Office Advertising 'the Popular Paper Knife' Victorian Letter Opener Ruler Page Turner Inland Postal History
£ 119
RegencySilver Antiques
Original and Rare 1970s Shell Oil Co. "That's Shell That Was" Marketing Mirror
£ 150
Lifestyle Warehouse
Rare Antique Mr Punch Magazine Enamel Advertising Large Letter Opener Paper Knife Ruler
£ 165
RegencySilver Antiques
Vintage Cast Iron “Duck Crossing” Garden Sign - Mid Century English Ironwork Rustic Decor
£ 75
White’s Antiques
Joseph & John Vickers & Company Ltd Gin, Antique Printed Advertising Sign
£ 175
Down Lane Hall Antiques
Original Lord Hill’s Bridge W2 Westminster Enamel Street Sign c.1967
£ 2,000
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Vintage Advertising Antiques FAQs
When did advertising become popular?
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.
What are the most popular vintage advertisement items?
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.
What is the oldest antique advertisement item?
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.
Why does retro advertising create nostalgia?
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.
