Actors Prefer Shell

Shell poster number 434, Actors Prefer Shell by Edward McKnight Kauffer. Stylised painting of a rectangle mask with an abstract eye and mouth.

Key facts

  • Catalogue Number

    434

  • Title

    Actors Prefer Shell

  • Date

    1935

  • Artist

    Edward McKnight Kauffer

Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890–1954) is now considered one of the most influential graphic designers of the 20th century. Originally a painter from America, he moved to Britain in 1914. He was influenced by Cubism and Vorticism, and produced posters for many organisations including London Transport and Great Western Railway. He was Shell’s principal poster designer, and produced over 180 artworks for Shell during the 1920s and 1930s.

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Panoramic view of the first floor of the National Motor Museum

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