Title - The Booklovers' Britain - Horncastle - The Romany Rye.
Location - Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.
Artist - Austin Cooper (1890-1964).
Description - The scene is the Red Lion Coaching Inn (more recently hotel/pub/theatre) in the old centre of the town of Horncastle on the day of it's famous annual horse fair, a local event since 1229. The book is George Borrow's "The Romany Rye", the sequel to "Lavengro", and both semi-autobiographical. Cooper has thus made the author and both of the books central to the scene.
Year Published - 1930s
Size - Double Royal (approx 40 x 25in or 101.5 x 63.5cm) plus linen border.
Other Details:
Original Vintage LNER British Railways Travel Poster.
Published by The London & North Eastern Railway.
Printed in Great Britain by McCorquodale & Co Ltd, Glasgow & London.
Condition Grade and Condition Report:
Grade: B+, we have had this poster conservation-backed on linen.
Repairs to a number of tears and old tape stains. Watercolour pencil restoration to fold wear and a paper-loss replacement at the central fold intersection. More detailed photos and before photo are available on request if required.
More About The Artist:
Austin Cooper settled in London in 1922, and started his poster designing career with his first commission from London Transport, for whom he produced a lot of work. He later produced works for the LNER, and for the Empire Marketing Board. In 1943 he moved on to become a full time painter.