Shell poster number 292, Salcombe by Hal Woolf. Landscape painting depciting Salcombe, with the beach and hills in the background and houses and part of the church at the front of the image.

Explore the Shell Heritage Art Collection

The Shell Heritage Art Collection is one of the most important collections of 20th Century British commercial art. Featuring the work of well-known modern British artists, some selected posters from the Collection can viewed here. 

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  1. Shell poster number 446, Scientists Prefer Shell by Tom Eckersley and Eric Lombers. Stylised painting of a scientist's beaker and test tube on a wooden table.

    Scientists Prefer Shell

    • 1936
    • Eric Lombers / Tom Eckersley

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  2. Shell poster 111, See how they run, Shell Studio (1925). Painting of an anthropomorphic car being filled up from a Shell petrol pump. Two other cars are speeding off into the distance. Text reads; "See how they run on Shell".

    See How They Run

    • 1925
    • Shell Studio

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  3. Shell poster number 473, Sham Ruins, Virginia Water by R.J. Kinneir. Landscape painting of Sham Ruins in snow.

    Sham Ruins, Virginia Water

    • 1936
    • Jock Kinneir

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  4. Shell poster number 1545, Shell Day is coming! (1952) by George Ayers. Poster shows man quickly looking left and right (so appearing to have two heads), holding a shell logo alongside the text: "Shell Day is coming!". Petrol was rationed during WWII and oil companies pooled resources. Shell began to advertise the day that they could sell their branded products again as ‘Shell Day’.

    Shell Day is coming!

    • 1952
    • George Ayers

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  5. Shell poster number 57, Shell Girdles the Earth (1924), Shell Studio. Graphic of the earth with Shell Motor Spirit oil cans circling it.

    Shell Girdles the Earth

    • 1924
    • Shell Studio

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  6. Shell poster number 199, Shell lubricating oil by Marc. Painting shows the words "Shell Lubricating Oil" in orange on a background of cogs.

    Shell Lubricating Oil

    • 1928
    • Marc

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  7. Shell poster number 540, Shell oil stays on the job (1939) by Abram Games. Painting shows red figure riding a bucking horse.

    Shell Lubricating Oil; Stays on the job

    • 1939
    • Abram Games

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  8. Shell poster number 209, Shell Oil & Petrol by F.C. Harrison. Red, white and blue stylised painting of racing drivers.

    Shell Oil and Petrol

    • 1928
    • Frederick Clifford Harrison

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  9. Shell poster number 78, Shell Pump - Be sure to see the guarantee (1924), Shell Studios. Painting of a Shell petrol pump, text reads "Be sure to see the guarantee, every pump officially tested and sealed".

    Shell Pump

    • 1924
    • Shell Studio

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Panoramic view of the first floor of the National Motor Museum

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