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Asking for Trouble

Poster
1939-1945 (published)
Artist/Maker
Ministry of Labour and National Service (publisher)
Eckersley, Tom (OBE) (designer)
Place of origin
Great Britain (published)

Colour lithograph poster depicting a person's foot stepping through and breaking a rung of a wooden ladder. 'Asking For Trouble' is lettered below the image in black capitals. On the reverse of the sheet is an alternative comic strip poster by 'Mendoza' titles 'Lifting like that is dangerous' (see E.2705a-1962).

Object details

Categories
Prints
Posters
Object type
Poster
TitleAsking for Trouble (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Colour Lithography
Brief description
'Asking for Trouble'. Colour lithograph poster promoting safe use of ladders. Designed by Thomas Eckersley. Produced by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and issued by the Ministry of Labour and National Service during the Second World War, Great Britain, 1939-45.
Physical description
Colour lithograph poster depicting a person's foot stepping through and breaking a rung of a wooden ladder. 'Asking For Trouble' is lettered below the image in black capitals. On the reverse of the sheet is an alternative comic strip poster by 'Mendoza' titles 'Lifting like that is dangerous' (see E.2705a-1962).
Dimensions
  • Size of sheet height: 76.2cm
  • Size of sheet width: 50.8cm
Measurements taken from: Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Eckersley' (Signed)
  • 'ASKING FOR TROUBLE' (Lettered in black below the image)
Subjects depicted
Safety
Accident
Ladder
Shoe
Associated object
E.2705A-1962 (Part)
Bibliographic references
  • Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1962. London: HMSO, 1964.
  • Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
Other number
11/D8 - V&A microfiche
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.2705-1962

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O699890/asking-for-trouble-poster-eckersley-tom-obe/
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