Title - Brick Making - Service to Industry.
Location - near Fletton/Peterborough, Huntingdonshire/Cambridgeshire, England.
Artist - Charles Ernest Cundall (1890-1971).
Description - A wonderful industrial view, showing the forest of brickworks chimneys lining the East Coast Main Line in the Fletton area just south of Peterborough. An ex-LNER V2 steam loco is powering a fast freight train full of bricks through the centre of the scene, while more bricks (probably Flettons) are stacked everywhere, with lines of freight wagons being filled by groups of men. The rich local clay deposits made this the busiest brickmaking area of Britain for many decades, peaking in the 1950s and 60s.
This is one of a series of industrial posters, titled "Service to Industry", produced early in the life of British Railways, to show that the recently nationalised railways could provide transport for businesses of all types in all parts of the country. The train and sidings are included to show that the railway could come right onto the site of industry.
This poster is one of a collection saved by a railwayman who worked at Carlisle station from the 1940s to the 1960s. The poster was never used and is in the same condition as originally received at the station for display.
Year Published - 1950
Size - Quad Royal (approx 50 x 40in or 127 x 102cm)
Other Details:
Original Vintage British Railway Travel Poster.
Published by The Railway Executive (Eastern Region) (A.R. 1115)
Printed in Great Britain by John Waddington Ltd, Leeds & London.
Condition Grade and Condition Report:
Grade: B+, un-conserved.
Folds with some splitting and age-discolouration. Close-up photos available on request.
More About The Artist:
Charles Ernest Cundall was born in Stretford, Lancashire and attended Manchester School of Art and later the Royal College of Art. Following WWI he went on to Slade Fine Art School and to Paris, and travelled widely. He spent WWII as an Admiralty artist and with the Air Ministry. He specialised in cityscapes and large panoramic canvases including his famous "The Withdrawal from Dunkirk", while also producing some posters for the railways and London Transport.
