Original, antique, poster: The Quick Starting Pair. Shell oil and petrol, designed by Edward McKnight Kauffer, 1931. A highly unusual image of two fleas under a magnifying glass, from the ‘quick starting pair’ series intended to represent the reliability and power of using Shell’s products simultaneously.

Kauffer produced several outstanding designs for Shell Oil in the 1930s. The posters were displayed on the side of Shell lorries as part of a highly regarded publicity campaign. This copy belonged to the leading post war graphic designer Abram Games (more information here). A higher resolution image is available for viewing on request