Series GB 0813 POST 110 Series - Post Office Publicity

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0813 POST 110 Series

Title

Post Office Publicity

Date(s)

  • 1934-present (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

2567 items

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Not available.

Archival history

GB 0813 POST 110 Series 1934-present Series 2567 items

Not given

Not available.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

When Stephen Tallents became GPO (General Post Office) Public Relations Manager in 1933, he decided to adopt the use of posters to carry information from the Post Office to the public. The bulk of POST 110 consists of over 6000 posters produced by the Post Office from the creation of its Public Relations Department in 1934 up to the present day.

Posters were initially produced for distribution to schools as an educational aid, or for display on mail vans, but soon the decision was taken to produce posters specifically designed to be displayed inside public offices; subject matter included public information and sales of philatelic items.

Posters for internal purposes were also produced by the Joint Production Council from the 1950s, these variously encouraged staff to be industrious, vigilant and to be thrifty.

Many well-known artists and designers have been commissioned by the Post Office (particularly in the 1930s-1950s) to produce posters. These artists include Peter Huveneers, Hans Schleger (Zero), Abram Games, Austin Cooper, Eric Fraser, Jan Lewitt, George Him, Tom Eckersley, Edward McKnight Kauffer, Harold Sandys Williamson, Frederic Henri Kay Henrion, Hans Arnold Rothholz, Ronald Searle and Barnett Freedman.

POST 110 also includes POPOS (Post Office Point of Sale) display instructions produced for branches, giving information on the display material they should obtain and display for particular periods. It also includes other publicity material such as leaflets and calendars.

There is an ongoing project to catalogue POST 110, with the main focus currently on the posters; there are 1,837 posters catalogued and available for viewing via our online catalogue, the majority of these records also include images of the posters.

National Savings posters are included up to 1969, when NS became a government department separate from the Post Office.

Many posters which are displayed in post offices do not advertise post office services (for example advertising Department of Society Security benefits, or promoting charitable collections) and these are not retained.

Post 110/1 is divided according to the publication code on each poster; for example, 'PRD' posters form a sub-series, as do 'RMN' and 'S&C'. Within each sub-series posters are arranged numerically by publication number; posters without publication numbers are listed in the 'unnumbered' sub-series.

Public Record

Please contact the Archive for further information.

English

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

EAD validated May 2011 Postal services Advertising Public information Public relations Post Office Mass communication Communication industry Communication process

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

When Stephen Tallents became GPO (General Post Office) Public Relations Manager in 1933, he decided to adopt the use of posters to carry information from the Post Office to the public. The bulk of POST 110 consists of over 6000 posters produced by the Post Office from the creation of its Public Relations Department in 1934 up to the present day.

Posters were initially produced for distribution to schools as an educational aid, or for display on mail vans, but soon the decision was taken to produce posters specifically designed to be displayed inside public offices; subject matter included public information and sales of philatelic items.

Posters for internal purposes were also produced by the Joint Production Council from the 1950s, these variously encouraged staff to be industrious, vigilant and to be thrifty.

Many well-known artists and designers have been commissioned by the Post Office (particularly in the 1930s-1950s) to produce posters. These artists include Peter Huveneers, Hans Schleger (Zero), Abram Games, Austin Cooper, Eric Fraser, Jan Lewitt, George Him, Tom Eckersley, Edward McKnight Kauffer, Harold Sandys Williamson, Frederic Henri Kay Henrion, Hans Arnold Rothholz, Ronald Searle and Barnett Freedman.

POST 110 also includes POPOS (Post Office Point of Sale) display instructions produced for branches, giving information on the display material they should obtain and display for particular periods. It also includes other publicity material such as leaflets and calendars.

There is an ongoing project to catalogue POST 110, with the main focus currently on the posters; there are 1,837 posters catalogued and available for viewing via our online catalogue, the majority of these records also include images of the posters.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

National Savings posters are included up to 1969, when NS became a government department separate from the Post Office.

Many posters which are displayed in post offices do not advertise post office services (for example advertising Department of Society Security benefits, or promoting charitable collections) and these are not retained.

Accruals

System of arrangement

Post 110/1 is divided according to the publication code on each poster; for example, 'PRD' posters form a sub-series, as do 'RMN' and 'S&C'. Within each sub-series posters are arranged numerically by publication number; posters without publication numbers are listed in the 'unnumbered' sub-series.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Public Record

Conditions governing reproduction

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

British Postal Museum and Archive: The Royal Mail Archive

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area