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W. E. Berry Ltd (1888 - 2004)

 Organisation

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 143 Collections and/or Records:

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.60
Scope and Contents

Leicester, Emerald Street Site, 15 April to 27 April. Colour illustration of baby elephant on brown background, wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble stood up on two legs with its head turned towards the viewer and holding a yellow sign under his right leg reading The World's Greatest Circus, Thrills, Spectacle, Beauty. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.

Dates: c1946 - 1999

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.61
Scope and Contents

Clapham Common, South Side, open until 20 November. Colour illustration of baby elephant on blue background, wearing a pointy hat with a bauble and a green bowtie, seated on a circus platform in front of a small woman in circus band uniform wearing a tall red hat and black shorts, holding a poster with his trunk with the location and time of the circus, also yellow and white type. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Nesfield Printing Works Bradford.

Dates: c1946 - 1999

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.62
Scope and Contents

Birmigham, Hay Mills, 18 March to 3 April. Colour illustration of elephant on blue background, wearing a pointy hat with a bauble and a green bowtie, seated on a circus platform in front of a small woman in circus band uniform wearing a tall red hat and black shorts, holding a poster with his trunk with the location and time of the circus, also yellow and white type. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Nesfield Printing Works Bradford.

Dates: c1946 - 1999

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 28 October - 23 November 1968

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.63
Scope and Contents

Clapham Common, South Side. Colour illustration of elephant wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble stood on a circus platform and a mouse dressed as an elephant trainer holding a whip on blue background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 28 October - 23 November 1968

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 31 March - 5 April 1969

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.67
Scope and Contents

Peterborough, Agricultural Show ground. Colour illustration of bust of Billy Smart wearing hat and bow tie and holding a cigar with circus ring scene on the background showing wild west act.

Dates: 31 March - 5 April 1969

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 9 - 11 June 1966

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.68
Scope and Contents

Cheltenham, Sandford Mill Road/Old Bath Road. Colour illustration of bust of Billy Smart wearing hat and bow tie and holding a cigar with circus ring scene on the background showing wild west act.

Dates: 9 - 11 June 1966

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 26 October - 14 November 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.69
Scope and Contents

Clapham Common. Western Spectacle, wild west act, The 1001 Arabian Nights Fantasy. Yellow, pink, white and brown type on brown, yellow and white background and a colour illustration for each programme theme showing the gun battle and the magic horse in yellow, blue, pink, black and white. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 26 October - 14 November 1959

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 10 - 12 June 1962

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.71
Scope and Contents

Stratford-on-Avon, Bishopton Field, Birmingham Road. Aerial fantasy, 20 elephants, The Fairyland story, U.S. Seventh Cavalry western show, polar bears, chimpanzees, camels plus over 150 other animals. Colour illustration of clown in green jacket and red trousers holding seven coloured ballons containing the circus acts over a black starry background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 10 - 12 June 1962

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 27 October 1969

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.74
Scope and Contents

Clapham Common. Colour illustration of baby tiger playing a drum on a green background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 27 October 1969

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 5 - 10 August 1957

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.83
Scope and Contents

Inverness, Bught Park. The Flying Hungarian Lunasz. Colour illustration of trapeze act showing two men a woman in mid air and a clown on a blue background and a pink circus ring below. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 5 - 10 August 1957

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 27 October 1969 for a short season

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.84
Scope and Contents

Clapham Common. Colour illustration of baby tiger playing a drum on a green starry background. Signed Thomas. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 27 October 1969 for a short season

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 25 March - 17 April 1971

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.85
Scope and Contents

Birmigham, Hay Mills. Colour illustration of three clowns, one of which is throwing a bucket of water to the viewer on a darnk blue background with yellow type above. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 25 March - 17 April 1971

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.86
Scope and Contents

Bridlington, Sewerby Heads site, 12-17 August. Colour illustration of baby elephant stood on its back legs, wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble, resting its right front leg on a notice reading 'The World's Greatest Circus, thrils, spectacle, beauty' on a brown background, also yellow, blue and red type. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: c1946 - 1999

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 28 October - 23 November 1968

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.87
Scope and Contents

Clapham Common, South Side. Colour illustration of elephant wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble stood on a circus platform and a mouse dressed as an elephant trainer holding a whip on blue background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 28 October - 23 November 1968

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.88
Scope and Contents

Bridlington, Sewerby Heads site, 12-17 August. Colour illustration of smiley clown's face wearing a small checked top hat and the outline of a circus tent on the right in white with fireworks on the side on a blue background and yellow, white and red type. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: c1946 - 1999

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 20 October - 1 November 1958

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.90
Scope and Contents

Slough, Twinches Lane, Bath Road. Colour illustration of Bartschelly, plate spinner wearing a white suite and black bow tie and spinning plates on an orange, red and blue background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 20 October - 1 November 1958

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 18 - 28 March 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.92
Scope and Contents

Cardiff, Sophia Gardens. Colour illustration of elephant foot hovering over a woman's head, who is laid on the floor. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 18 - 28 March 1959

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 15 - 20 April 1957

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.93
Scope and Contents

York, The Knavesmire. Presenting the new circorama plus great western spectacle featuring Davy Crockett. Colour illustration of western scene in ladscape showing native Americans and settlers in battle, a larger figure of a native American stood on a hill with his right arm raise and opposite Davy Crockett hodling a riffle. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 15 - 20 April 1957

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 6 - 11 July 1957

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.94
Scope and Contents

Preston, Moor Park. Featuring for the first time two super spectacles, The Wild West Show and the Arabian Nights Review. Colour illustration of a man in a turbant and a woman riding a black, winged horse in the centre, a man on a flying carpet on top left, belly dancers on bottom left and elephants with colour covers on. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 6 - 11 July 1957

Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 13 - 15 September 1962

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.96
Scope and Contents

Hereford, The Race course. Featuring for the first time anywhere two super spectacles, The Wild West Show plus a new production, Fairyland Fantasy. Colour illustration of wild west scene showing a settlers' caravan being chased by native Americans. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.

Dates: 13 - 15 September 1962

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 140
Collection 3
 
Subject
Acrobats 24
Aerialists 45
Animal trainers 13
Animals 106
Art 1