Original, antique, poster: Lubrication by Shell. Miles-Whitney Straight, designed by Edward McKnight Kauffer, 1937. The photomontage design features a photograph of a Miles-Whitney Straight monoplane designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft, contained within a ‘space frame’ to give the illusion of take-off, together with the jointed-man advertising device Kauffer created for Shell.

Probably the greatest poster designer working in interwar Britain, 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) and is one of the rarest posters Kauffer designed for Shell. A higher resolution image is available for viewing on request.