Commercial Art was an advertising-centric magazine produced by The Studio Ltd, 44 Leicester Square, London. Both names pop up whenever you research graphic things from the 1920s – 1940s. Now, if I still had access to the lovely online databases and libraries that I had when at college I’d be able to do a bit of research. As it is, I pretty much rely on the internet for research these days and it lets me down in this instance.
This is a wee paper flyer for Commercial Art magazine, probably from the later 1920s. A nice bit of copy tells us: ‘ “Commercial Art” THE Journal of Illustrated Advertising is a tonic for business, the proved friend of the advertiser and an essential guide to the publicity of to-day and to-morrow.’
And of course, being me, I love the line drawing below. There is more copy on the back.
The British Library catalogue tells me Commercial Art ran from 1922 – 1931 and then became Commercial Art and Industry from 1932 – 1936. And then may have morphed in to Art and Industry from 1936 – 1958. These dates are held up by a couple of covers of Commercial Art uploaded to Flickr by the ever tasteful Mike Ashworth. And the few bits of Art & Industry stuff I have.
So this remains a nice bit of paper without much of a story. But it’s a rare little thing too; especially when you think of how quickly you throw away the flyers and inserts in a magazine today.
Have first second and third series of commercial art hard back books of each years articles (1922,23,and24) with specimens of adverts loosely attached. No idea how old but no later than 1950s i would guess. Anyone familiar with these??
These might be bound copies of the magazines with covers removed, which libraries sometimes did. Or annuals, which I haven’t seen before.