Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

Image of Gallery in South Kensington

We don’t have an image of this object online yet.

More about images

V&A Images may have a photograph that we can’t show online, but it may be possible to supply one to you. Email us at vaimages@vam.ac.uk for guidance about fees and timescales, quoting the accession number: E.873-2004

Examine ladders before use

Poster
ca.1940s- ca.1950s (made)
Artist/Maker
Loxley Bros. Ltd. (printers)
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (publishers)
ROSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) (publishers)
Eckersley, Tom (OBE) (designer)
Place of origin
London (published)

Poster encouraging safety at work depicting a ladder with a broken rung. Behind the ladder, viewed through the rung is the black sihouetted figure of a man on crutches.Below the ladder is the poster's slogan in large black letters, 'Examine ladders', and to the right and slightly below (in brown letters), 'Before use'. The artist has signed himself, 'Eckersley' along the top right inner edge of the ladder.

Object details

Categories
Prints
Propaganda
Health
Posters
Disability
Object type
Poster
TitleExamine ladders before use (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Lithographic Ink
Paper
Lithography
Brief description
Safety at work poster produced by RoSPA, designed by Tom Eckersley, and printed by Loxley Bros. Ltd, United Kingdom, 1940s or 1950s
Physical description
Poster encouraging safety at work depicting a ladder with a broken rung. Behind the ladder, viewed through the rung is the black sihouetted figure of a man on crutches.Below the ladder is the poster's slogan in large black letters, 'Examine ladders', and to the right and slightly below (in brown letters), 'Before use'. The artist has signed himself, 'Eckersley' along the top right inner edge of the ladder.
Dimensions
  • Height: 76.2cm
  • Width: 50.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'EXAMINE LADDERS / BEFORE USE' (Printed in black and brown)
  • 'IND/J/2' (The issue number is printed in the lower left-hand corner, next to the Society's symbol, a cog and a triangle.)
  • 'Issued by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Terminal House, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London S.W.1 Printed by LOXLEY BROS. Ltd.'. (Printing and publishing information, printed at the bottom of the poster.)
  • 'ECKERSLEY' (Artist's signature, along the top right inner edge of the ladder)
Credit line
Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko
Subjects depicted
Health
Safety
Prevention
Accident
Ladders
Figures
Silhouettes
Crutches
Blue Collar Workers
Other number
LS.2003 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.873-2004

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdApril 11, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122986/examine-ladders-before-use-poster-eckersley-tom-obe/
Download as: JSON