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Clara Butt

Poster
c.1916 (issued)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Poster advertising the contralto Clara Butt's exclusivity to Columbia Records. The main feature of the design being a colour painted portrait of Butt wearing an arctic fox-fur and holding some roses. Graded prices for different sizes of gramophone recordings are given at the poster’s lower edge.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleClara Butt
Materials and techniques
Colour offset lithography
Brief description
Poster advertising the contralto Clara Butt's exclusivity to Columbia Records. The main feature of the design being a colour painted portrait of Butt wearing an arctic fox-fur. Offset colour lithograph print. Columbia Records. Great Britain. c.1916.
Physical description
Poster advertising the contralto Clara Butt's exclusivity to Columbia Records. The main feature of the design being a colour painted portrait of Butt wearing an arctic fox-fur and holding some roses. Graded prices for different sizes of gramophone recordings are given at the poster’s lower edge.
Dimensions
  • Height: 56cm
  • Width: 39.6cm
Dimensions taken from: Edge, Kevin. The Art of Selling Songs : Graphics for the Music Business, 1690-1990. London : Futures Publications, 1991.
Credit line
Given by The Underground Electric Railways Company of London Ltd. (UERL)
Object history
The aloofness and near arrogance of Columbia's black and white portraits of Beecham et al (see E.437 to 440-1916) are absent in this softer, more sensuous image conveyed by the arctic fox-fur, delicate skin tones and roses, yet an air of professional composure is maintained. The 'exclusive' nature of operatic recordings at this time is here illustrated by the graded prices at the poster's lower edge.
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic reference
Edge, Kevin. The Art of Selling Songs : Graphics for the Music Business, 1690-1990. London : Futures Publications, 1991.
Collection
Accession number
E.460-1916

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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