The Wellington Surtout
Poster
ca. 1845 (made)
ca. 1845 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This early example of a lithographic poster advertises a men's raincoat. It depicts a young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert accompanied by the Duke of Wellington riding past Horse Guards, invoking royalty and celebrity to sell the product.
The style of the poster illustrates how early pictorial poster design drew on other forms of printed ephemera such as fashion plates - particularly those of contemporary printmaker and tailor Benjamin Read who depicted figures in aspirational social and topographical settings. The combination of the image with elaborate and freely positioned text also recalls the printed music sheet covers of the period.
The poster includes descriptive text extolling the technical qualities of the raincoat. The Wellington Surtout appears to be a successor to the 18th century water-repellent 'hard' tartan overcoats. It may have been a more stylish alternative to the coats made from rubberised cloth invented in the 1820s.
The style of the poster illustrates how early pictorial poster design drew on other forms of printed ephemera such as fashion plates - particularly those of contemporary printmaker and tailor Benjamin Read who depicted figures in aspirational social and topographical settings. The combination of the image with elaborate and freely positioned text also recalls the printed music sheet covers of the period.
The poster includes descriptive text extolling the technical qualities of the raincoat. The Wellington Surtout appears to be a successor to the 18th century water-repellent 'hard' tartan overcoats. It may have been a more stylish alternative to the coats made from rubberised cloth invented in the 1820s.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Wellington Surtout (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Tinted lithograph printed from two stones with added hand-lettering |
| Brief description | Colour lithograph from 2 stones by F Sexton, poster advertising a raincoat 'The Wellington Surtout'; British, ca. 1845. |
| Physical description | The poster depicts a young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert accompanied by the Duke of Wellington riding past Horse Guards within a border ornamented with curls and arrows at the corners. A large amount of text describes the raincoat. A purpose-designed space at the bottom of the poster is filled with a blue hand-lettered insert for the name of a local agent. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
This is an early example of a lithographic poster. It invokes royalty and celebrity and aspirational marketing to sell the product, a man's raincoat, depicting a young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert out riding accompanied by the Duke of Wellington.(2010) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | This early example of a lithographic poster advertises a men's raincoat. It depicts a young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert accompanied by the Duke of Wellington riding past Horse Guards, invoking royalty and celebrity to sell the product. The style of the poster illustrates how early pictorial poster design drew on other forms of printed ephemera such as fashion plates - particularly those of contemporary printmaker and tailor Benjamin Read who depicted figures in aspirational social and topographical settings. The combination of the image with elaborate and freely positioned text also recalls the printed music sheet covers of the period. The poster includes descriptive text extolling the technical qualities of the raincoat. The Wellington Surtout appears to be a successor to the 18th century water-repellent 'hard' tartan overcoats. It may have been a more stylish alternative to the coats made from rubberised cloth invented in the 1820s. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.196-2010 |
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| Record created | January 29, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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