Sheet of a colour lithograph poster designed by Ben Nicholson (1894-1982), printed by David Allen & Sons, to advertise the original production of J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, Duke of York's Theatre, 27 December 1904.

One sheet of a larger poster (probably originally two sheet) reproduced from a childhood watercolour by Ben Nicholson of an Indigenous American in a feathered head-dress, carrying a spear. He has one horse in front of him, whose hind quarters can be seen to the left hand margin as he leavbes the picture and one horse behind him, whose head is depicted coming into the right hand side of the image. The man is seen in profile, walking to his right, on a green hill, against a dark blue sky dotted with small white clouds. The image has a tan-coloured border, to the right and left of which are margins of cream paper, on the lower right of which is printed the printer's name. Above this are manuscript notes in ink by Ben Nicholson. Blow the image, right, is the printed number 'B41679', and the whole has been pasted on to a cotton backing. The poster is very creased and buckled and there is an a small area missing from the bottom edge, centre right.

Given by the Simon Nicholson Estate

This poster is probably the earliest printed work from a design by the painter Ben Nicholson since he did the original watercolour when he was seven years old. The painting was of a Indigenous American called Great Big Little Panther, and when William Nicholson, Ben's father, was designing the sets and costumes for the original production of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, which opened at the Duke of York's Theatre, 27 December 1904, Ben's drawing that he had done a few years before, was used by David Allen and Sons on the poster because of the Indigenous Americans that feature in Never-Never Land. Ben was ten when the poster was printed and he noted in the margin the man's name, and when he did the painting.

The original watercolour from which this was printed is still in the family, and the poster was presented by Ben Nicholson's daughter-in-law, Sylvie Nicholson. She recalls her late husband saying that his father was always cross with J.M. Barrie because he never received any payment for the design.

This is one sheet of a multiple sheet poster (2 or possibly more). The other part or parts would have had the name of the production and the theatre. In Ben Nicholson's confusing note he writes 'The other piece of paper is the heading and the botom (sic) part of this" which may mean there was a heading piece and a lower piece, or that the lower piece had the information which he said was 'the heading'.

From Ben Nicholson's note 'With love from Ben to Muriel A Happy New Year 1905' it is evident that he gave this poster as a New Year present, but the donor could not identify the identity of 'Muriel'.

This poster is probably the earliest printed work from a design by the painter Ben Nicholson since he did the original watercolour when he was seven. The original watercolour was of an Indigenous American and when William Nicholson, Ben's father, was designing sets and costumes for the original production of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan (which opened at the Duke of York's Theatre, 27 December 1904) Ben's drawing was used by David Allen and Sons on the poster because of the Indigenous Americans in Never-Never Land. Nicholson was ten when the poster was printed but he noted in the margin the Indigenous American's name Great Big Little Panther. He was always rather cross that J.M. Barrie never paid him for his design.

This is one sheet of a multiple sheet poster and would therefore have been very large. The other part or parts would have had the name of the production and the theatre. This was not the only poster used to advertise the production though since another was designed by Charles Buchel showing Peter and Wendy flying to Never-Never Land.

S.247-2002