MICHAEL REILLY (1898-?) STRATFORD - UPON - AVON.
39x49¼ inches, 99x125 cm. J. Weiner Ltd., London.
Condition B+: repaired tears at edges, some into image; small replaced losses in top margin; minor creases in margins and image. Framed.
Michael Reilly studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Birmingham in the 1920s. Little is known of his life, though he spent most of it living and working in the West Midlands. As a commercial artist, he received commissions from several railway companies, including the Great Western Railway, Southern Railway, and the London Underground, some of which are in the collection of the National Railway Museum in York. This rare poster advertises a town well-known to any Shakespeare aficionado - the Bard's birthplace of Stratford-Upon-Avon. This quaint and idyllic street scene, with fashionable strolling figures, also includes an interesting detail - there is a prominently displayed American flag billowing overhead. This flag marks Harvard House, built in 1596 by John Harvard’s grandfather (Thomas Rogers), and owned by Harvard University since the early 20th century. A keen observer will recognize the University's crest over the door. Ownership of the property reverted to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1990.