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Foul Play

Poster
ca.1906-1910 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This poster was published by the Tariff Reform League, an organisation formed to campaign for tariffs on foreign imports as a means of protecting English manufacturing. It shows a boxing ring with two combatants; one shackled and kneeling, the other standing victorious. This symbolises English manufacturing hampered and defeated by cheap imports from Germany and America. Two figures representing America (in Uncle Sam costume) and Germany stand to the right of the ring, and John Bull stands to the left.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFoul Play (published title)
Materials and techniques
Lithograph
Brief description
Black and white British political poster entitled 'Foul Play'. London, ca. 1906-1910.
Physical description
Black and white lithographic poster depicting two boxers fighting in a ring, one kneeling in defeat, symbolising English trade hampered by foreign imports.
Dimensions
  • Height: 75.4cm
  • Width: 101.2cm
Production typeUnlimited edition
Marks and inscriptions
  • "If I saw a prize-fighter encountering a galley-slave in irons, I should consider the combast equally as fair as to make England fight Hostile Tariffs with Free Imports." Disraeli at Shrewsbury, 1843. (The scene represented in this poster is a direct reference to this quote.)
  • AND JOHN BULL HAS MORE MONEY ON THAN HE CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.
Credit line
Given by Michael Diamond, in memory of his wife Bell
Production
Printed and Published for the Tariff Reform League, 7 Victoria St, London, By Messrs Loud & Co., 57-59 Long Acre.
Summary
This poster was published by the Tariff Reform League, an organisation formed to campaign for tariffs on foreign imports as a means of protecting English manufacturing. It shows a boxing ring with two combatants; one shackled and kneeling, the other standing victorious. This symbolises English manufacturing hampered and defeated by cheap imports from Germany and America. Two figures representing America (in Uncle Sam costume) and Germany stand to the right of the ring, and John Bull stands to the left.
Collection
Accession number
E.552-2015

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Record createdJune 18, 2015
Record URL
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