An original poster of Clavell Tower in Kimmeridge by Swanage artist Paul Nash, alongside a poster of Bond’s Folly near Creech Grange are set to go under the hammer.
The advertising posters for the oil company Shell are part of a large collection that are to be sold off on Thursday 29th April 2021 by auctioneers, Lyon and Turnbull. The proceeds will go to the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu in Hampshire.
Paul Nash lived in Swanage in the 1930s
The poster by Paul Nash, who lived in Swanage in the 1930s, shows Clavell Tower in Kimmeridge Bay and is entitled ‘Kimmeridge Folly’. The auction catalogue gives the 1937 poster an estimate of £1,500 to £2,000 and gives it this description:
“This poster was part of an advertising campaign series entitled ‘To Visit Britain’s Landmarks, You Can be Sure of Shell’. The series comprised a selection of follies and sometimes unusual attractions, encouraging the public to explore the British countryside.”
Paul Nash (1889-1946) studied at Chelsea Polytechnic and the Slade. He fought in World War One, but after being wounded at Ypres became an official war artist. He gained early recognition as a landscape artist and in the 1930s he was drawn to Surrealism.
In the mid 1930s he moved for his health to Swanage, first staying at a farmhouse just outside the town and then later lived in a seafront house called The Pinnacles on The Parade.
Bond’s Folly is also known as Creech Folly
The other Purbeck advertising poster is of Bond’s Folly, also known as Creech Folly near Creech Grange. It’s by lesser known artist John Stewart Anderson and is estimated to make between £300 and £500.
This folly was built in the 18th century by Dennis Bond, the then owner of Creech Grange which sits in the valley below. It sits on Ridgeway Hill, the second highest point of the Purbeck Hills and is now owned by the National Trust.
“The very best designs from Shell’s successful advertising campaign”
Poster Consultant to Lyon and Turnbull, Nicolette Tomkinson said:
“We are delighted to be able to offer for sale two examples from Dorset; Kimmeridge by Paul Nash and Bond’s Folly by John Stewart Anderson. These striking lithograph posters represent some of the very best designs from Shell’s successful advertising campaign in the 1930s.
“We hope that there will be interest from the local area, as the posters are being sold to benefit The National Motor Museum Trust, a charitable organisation which runs the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.”
Design on the Move: Posters from the Shell Heritage Art Collection auction will take place online from 6 pm on Thursday 29th April 2021 and the full auction catalogue is available online
