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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 147 Collections and/or Records:

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1938

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.162
Scope and Contents Hagenbeck's Elephants presented by Walter Kaden, Crocker's Teddy bears, Dario Bario Family clowns, Rubrio Sisters equilibrists, Capt. Tommy Kayes with his lions, Lopez Trio with Victor Fratellini comedy aerial gymnasts, Flying Alizes, Ellen Octavio animal trainer, Doodles clown, 3 Van Normans, Ryders 3, Camilla Caroli Troupe riding act, The Crystal Wonders, The Tower Mermaids. White, yellow, red and blue type on blue, red, yellow and green background with colour illustrations of clown heads...
Dates: 1938

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.163
Scope and Contents Emmi Truzzi equestrian act, Four Lazanders comedy acrobatics, Anjolys 3 high perch, Lou Lenny with her Comedy Circus, Van Norman Trio clowns, 5 Phantoms gladiators, Doodles clown, Despard and Charley French clowns, Marfrano Sisters shorthand acrobats, Le Beaute Noire high school act, The Tower Circus diving nymphs, 3 Jovellis trapeze, Four Australian Air Ages motor cycling acrobatics. Main background is blue with white stars, type is multicoloured on multicoloured background. Printed by W....
Dates: 1939

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1939

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.164
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1939

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1945

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.165
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1945

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1958

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.167
Scope and Contents Charlie Cairoli with Paul clowns, Three Merkys comedy acrobatics, Rih-Aruso, Mills boxing chimpanzees presented by Willem Lenz, Knie's panthers, tigers, lions, polar and black bears and leopards presented by Eugen Weidmann, Knie's sea lions, 6 Flying De Pauls, 3 Antares, 3 Chiesas, Maurice and May, Alma Piaia, Ivan Bratuchin and his Cossack riders, Krone's Liberty horses presented by Jozsi Vinicky, Manja Vinicky and her high school acts, Little Jimmy. Colour illustrations of a clown, a...
Dates: 1958

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1959

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.168
Scope and Contents Charlie Cairoli with Paul clowns, Schickler Sisters, Josef Wiesner's 7 tigers presented by Helene Pimmer, Knie's log rolling elephants presented by Ruppert Bemmerl, 4 Palacios, Eldino and assistant, Trio Morlidor, Tibor Alexander's dogs, The Great Barton, The Great Pusztai Troupe, Carmel Gowan, The Two Angelos, 4 Dubowys, Knie's Tiger horses presented by Edith Schickler, Knie's 18 ponies presented by Ingrid Schickler, Hoppe's kicking mule. Colour illustrations of a clown, an elephant and a...
Dates: 1959

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1960

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.169
Scope and Contents Charlie Cairoli and his Company clown, The Bob Gerry Troupe, 5 Amandis, Knie's chimpanzees by Dudi Smith, The Myrons, Fattini, Schaller Bros, 2 Balcombes, 3 Houcs, The Cycling Therons, King King, Our Sammy, Little Jimmy, Gerb Siemoneit's animals from Benneweis, Sacha Houke presents Knie's horses, Rupert Bemmerl presents Knie's elephants. Colour illustrations of a clown and clothed chimpanzees at the top, a lion and a tiger at the bottom, acts listed in multicoloured fonts against...
Dates: 1960

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1961

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.170
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1961

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1965

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.171
Scope and Contents Charlie Cairoli and his Company, Ferdinando Jarz Troupe, Robert Bros 5 baby elephants presented by Dickie Baker, 3 Merkys, D'Angoly Jnr, Arno and Rita Van Bolen, The Tower Circusettes, Circus A Althoff's Liberty horses presented by F R Althoff, Circus A Althoff's Shetland ponies presented by Helene Althoff, Hoppe's kicking mule, 8 Jungle Queens presented by Captain Sidney Howes, 6 Biasinis, 5 Olanders, Skating Bredos, Dogsi's football dogs, The Trio Puerto Rico, Alma Piana. Colour...
Dates: 1965

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1966

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.172
Scope and Contents Charlie Cairoli and his Company, Gerd Siemoneit's lions, tigers, leopards, pumas and panther, Ruppert's bears, Rogana, Seven Lukacs, Jörgen and Conny, Desmond and Marks, Circus A Althoff's eight Arab Liberty horses presented by Franz Althoff Jnr, Maryse Begary, Tower Circusettes, Roberto Mariani Trio, triple high school by Franz Althoff Jnr, Elene Althoff and Evi Barrtch, 5 Medifreds, The Ascots. Colour illustrations of a clown, a leopard, a panther and a bear on a tall bicycle, type and...
Dates: 1966

Blackpool Tower Circus Poster, 1967

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.173
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 1967

Blackpool Tower Circus Posters, c1930 - 1990

 Sub-Series
Reference code: 178R47.141-212
Scope and Contents

Posters for Blackpool Tower Circus including shows by Knie's Circus, Circus Krone, Circus Schumann, Bertram Mills Circus, Robert Brothers Circus and performances by Charlie Cairoli, Doddles, Coco the Clown, The Rosaires, Lilly Yokoi, Alfred Court, Vojtek Trubka, The Great Wallendas and Mary Chipperfield among others.

Dates: c1930 - 1990

Business Records from W.E Berry Printers, 1993 - 1998

 File — Box Smart Family Collection Box 7: Series 178H21
Reference code: 178H21.47
Scope and Contents

Includes quotations, copies of posters, invoices, statements of account, samples of printing paper and sketches.

Dates: 1993 - 1998

Chipperfield Circus Posters, c1950 - 1999

 Sub-Series
Reference code: 178R47.213-354
Scope and Contents

Chipperfield Circus posters including Chipperfield Circus, Chipperfield Brothers Circus, Sally Chipperfield's Circus, Circus Spectacular, Chipperfields Europe's Greatest Circus, Chipperfield's Bingley Hall Xmas Circus, Mary Chipperfield's Circus and Jimmy Chipperfield's Circus among others.

Dates: c1950 - 1999

Chipperfields Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1950 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.223
Scope and Contents

Kidderminster, 19 to 21 May. Chipperfield's performing lions, Argentina's performing bulls, The Astrals, Marseline, John's wonderful performing dogs, Susan high school horse, Chipperfield's performing bears, The Gridneffs, Jix, Jax and Max, Chipperfield's elephants, Jimmy Chipperfeild presents his Bengal tigers, Fiery Jack and Co clowns, Banana and Sausage clowns. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd.

Dates: c1950 - 1999

Chipperfield's Circus Poster, Wednesday 29 June - Sunday 3 July c1994

 Item
Reference code: 178R27.192
Scope and Contents

Ynys. Contains colour illustration. Printed by W.E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.

Dates: Wednesday 29 June - Sunday 3 July c1994

Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1950 - 1999

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.224
Scope and Contents Cheeky Chimps, featuring the stilt walking chimp, Fiery Jack and his streamlined car, the horse riding sea lion troupe, great group of polar and brown bears, Western carousel, Raluy presents the triple somersaulting car, the horse on the flying trapeze, Cheif Eagle Eye sharp-shooting, Alola the Jungle princess with her Bengal tigers, 3 Henris thrills in the air, elephant spectacle presented by Wenzel Kossmayer, 12 thoroughbred racehorses and Palominos, Valnohas, unicycles, exotic act...
Dates: c1950 - 1999

Chipperfields Europe's Largest Circus and Menagerie Poster, 1955

 Item
Reference code: 178R47.225
Scope and Contents Miss Stella's sea lions, 16 elephants, Roman chariot racing, The Camileo Mayer high wire troupe, 70 horses, the exotic group, camels, llamas, zebras and George the giraffe, 18 grizzly and polar bears, The Kalev's human statues, The Tarzanovas flying trapeze, Chipperfields cheeky chimps, Les French comedy, 12 African lions, high school act, The Domis wirewalkers, John's performing poodles, 3 Henris trapeze. Colour illustration of Roman chariot racers, announcement that the show is new glued...
Dates: 1955

Christopher Palmer Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0105
Scope and Contents

Circus programmes and VHS tapes from Billy Smart’s Circus and Chipperfields’s Circus collected during the 1970s and early 1980s by the TV producer, Christopher John Palmer. There are also a number of promotional photographs of artistes and other ephemera related to the circus.

Dates: 1973 - 1983

Circus Friends Association Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0122
Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses

Dates: 1795 - 2020

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 144
Collection 3
 
Subject
Acrobats 25
Aerialists 48
Animal trainers 14
Animals 110
Art 1