W. E. Berry Ltd (1888 - 2004)
Dates
- Existence: 1888 - 2004
Biography
The W.E. Berry Ltd printing company was founded by William Edward Berry in the early 1900s after taking over his father’s printing company and splitting with his business partner. The original company had been founded by William Berry in 1888 at 13 Currer Street in Bradford to print advertising posters. Business soon started to specialise in the railway and entertainment sector, specially the circus industry and over time became one of the most significant printers of entertainment posters in the UK.
In the 1920s the company started to print posters for the film industry after W.E. Berry met Fred Martin at Paramount Pictures. This developed into a lucrative partnership with Berry becoming one of only three companies in Britain to specialise in printing large format posters. Successive contracts with Disney and Columbia arrived, turning Berry into one of the leading producers and distributors of film posters in the UK. Some of the most famous posters include Star Wars (1977) and Flash Gordon (1980).
The mid of the twentieth century saw the production of Berry’s most beautiful and sought posters in the entertainment sector and the company continued experiencing success until the end of the late 1990s when it employed around 140 people, including Chief Illustrator Leon Crossley and a team of freelance commercial artists. However, by the early twentieth century Berry’s fortunes started to turn and after heavy financial losses the company went into administration in 2004, ceasing business on the 4th day of February that year.
Found in 107 Collections and/or Records:
Billy Smart's New World Circus Poster, 7 - 26 November 1955
Birmingham, Perry Bar stadium car park. Colour illustration of circus parade seen from behind heading towards a blue circus tent on a field. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's New World Circus Poster, 15 October - 3 November 1956
Manchester, Platt Fields. Eight Flying Croneras. Colour illustration of trapezee act showing eight artistes performing in mid-air ona blue and pink background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1961
Charlie Cairoli and Company. Colour illustration of a clown on a rocket in space with a collection of circus animals, monkeys, an elephant, a cat and a giraffe, background is a blue and purple night sky, type multicoloured. Printed by W. E. Berry.
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1960
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1959
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1957
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1963
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1962
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1966
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1967
Charlie Cairoli and his Company, Flying Leotaris, Taras Bulba and his tigers, Max and Barbara Morris with their sea-lions, Tibor Alexander and his Dog Revue, The 3 Villams, Tower Circusettes, Baily Fossettt's elephants and ponies presented by Ivor Rosaire, The Great Barton, Jean Claude, Gina The Girl in the Moon, Goldy the horse with Jack Rosaire, The Gerardis, Desmond and Marks, The Wilsons. Colour illustration of a clown, type and background multicoloured. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd.
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1965
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1964
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1955
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1956
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, c1950 - 1959
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1938
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1939
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1939
15 Devils of the Forest presented by Alfred Court big cat act, Emmy Truzzi equestrian act, Cairoli Trio clowns, Lou Lenny with her kicking mules, 7 Martinettes acrobats, Omega Trio, equilibrists, Doodles clown, Cavalini's canine comedians, 3 Van Normans, The Great Wallendas high wire. Main background is blue with white stars, main title in yellow, type in red and blue on a white background. Printed by W. E. Berry.
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1945
Chesnut Octette equestrian act, Elephant Revue by the Six Sisters Jumbo, Victor Julian with his dogs and monkeys, Lai Founs, Chinese wonders, The Rosinas, George and Jack Dormonde, Coco and Michael and Family, Fred Sylvester and his Nephews, Three Austins clowns, Swan and Leigh comedy gymnasts, Olsen and his seal, Prince Zahoor, 16 Annette's Circusettes. Main background is blue with white stars, type multicoloured on a white background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd.
Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1958
Filtered By
- Subject: Performers X
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 104
- Collection 3
- Subject
- Acrobats 25
- Aerialists 48
- Animal trainers 14
- Animals 83
- Art 1
- Boxing 1
- Business 1
- Circus workers 1
- Clowning 75
- Comedians 9
- Contortionists 5
- Dance 6
- Diving 1
- Dwarfs (Persons) 4
- Equestrians 25
- Escape artists 3
- Fairs 3
- Fakirs 3
- Family 2
- Fire eating 8
- Freak shows 3
- Gymnasts 5
- Human cannonball 1
- Jugglers 12
- Knife throwing 2
- Magic 4
- Male impersonators 1
- Menageries 5
- Mimes 1
- Minstrel shows 3
- Motion pictures 6
- Music 2
- Music-halls 3
- Musical performances 5
- Pantomime 7
- Pierrot 2
- Puppets 3
- Ringmaster 4
- Ringmistress 1
- Showman 6
- Showwoman 4
- Singing 6
- Skating 10
- Strong men 6
- Strong women 1
- Stunt performers 1
- Sword swallowing 1
- Trampolinists 1
- Transport 1
- Travel 1
- Variety 7
- Ventriloquists 4
- Wall of death 1
- War 5
- Wild west 15
- World War, 1914-1918 1
- World War, 1939-1945 4
- Wrestling 7
- Zoos 2 + ∧ less