Tobacco plantation in Nyasaland

Frank Cheyne Papé 1878 - 1972

Summary

Two men in the foreground (left) stand in the shade smoking pipes, one observing the scene in front of them, the other looking back to the viewer. Next to them, three men carry a large package on their shoulders. In the middle ground a loaded cart pulled by oxen is being driven by a figure with a long stick. People ride on top of the load and gesture to a woman and children below. In the background fields of tobacco reach back to a mountainous backdrop. The whole scene is framed by a decorative border. Under the scene are the words 'Tobacco Plantation in NYASALAND''. This poster is from a series of five Empire Marketing Board posters on the theme of 'Smoke Empire Tobacco' (the series title). The only other work in the collection from this poster series is 1935.696 'Tobacco Plantation in S. Rhodesia'. Nyasaland was the colonial name of Malawi. S. Rhodesia refers to the colonial name Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. It is one of 222 Empire Marketing Board posters gifted to the Industrial Art Collection at Manchester Art Gallery by the Empire Marketing Board (EMB) in 1935. The EMB was established in May 1926 by the Conservative party politician Colonial Secretary Leo Amery. It was a key response to growing concern about the long-term prospects of the British economy. A distinctive feature of the EMB's work was its poster campaigns which were displayed in specially designed frames located outdoors in towns and cities throughout the UK. Five posters were shown in sequence conceived as a single linked concept. The poster campaigns were established to promote trade within the British Empire by persuading British customers to 'Buy Empire'. The committee of the EMB was made up of William Crawford of Crawfords, a major British advertising agency; Frank Pick who closely supervised all aspects of the poster campaigns and Stephen Tallent, Secretary of the EMB. They selected and commissioned leading artists of the period with a track record of good commercial design to ensure the posters achieved the greatest public impact. Artists initially provided the EMB's Publicity Sub Committee with sketches of their proposed designs responding to Pick's design briefs. These original designs were then transferred to zinc plates and printed by specialist lithography printers. The printing proofs were then approved by the committee and finally around 2000 copies of each poster design was produced.