 |
Antikbar one sheet vintage advertising poster for
The Blue Funnel Line, a British shipping company founded by Alfred Holt & Co. in Liverpool. The poster promotes their "First Class Passenger Steamers" service to South Africa, Australia, the Straits, and China.
Poster Details
Company: The Blue Funnel Line (Alfred Holt & Co.)
Routes: Services offered included regular first-class passenger and cargo routes from the UK to Australia (from 1924 to 1939) and the Far East.
Artwork: The style of the image, featuring a distinct steamship with the company's characteristic blue funnel, is typical of travel advertising from the 1920s or 1930s.
Rarity: Original copies of this poster are considered rare collectibles in very good condition.
The Blue Funnel Line was known for its technical excellence and the iconic, almost vertical blue funnels of its ships, which were a familiar sight in major ports worldwide for over a century.
The artist for the "The Blue Funnel Line" poster is likely either
Montague Birrell Black (1884–1964) or Walter Thomas (1894–1971), depending on the exact version of the artwork.
Montague Birrell Black: He is often credited with designing the specific variation of the poster shown in your image, which features the text banner at the bottom. Black worked for several major shipping companies in the 1920s and 1930s and was known for his detailed, painting-like posters.
Walter Thomas: He designed a similar but distinct poster for the Blue Funnel Line in the 1950s that featured a ship passing Gibraltar. Thomas worked as an assistant to another prolific marine artist, Odin Rosenvinge, and produced many illustrations for shipping companies.
Maurice Randall: Another artist, Maurice Randall (1865-1950), also signed versions of the Blue Funnel Line posters, sometimes depicting a smiling sailor. |
| Snipe at bottom was removed using a steamer, it was then reattached below the word "Largest" |
|
