ELECTIONS and political campaigns always generate huge paper trails but few of the countless posters and leaflets produced survive long-term. On St Patrick’s Day, Bloomsbury Auctions in London will sell a very rare poster made over 90 years ago when the 1910 British general election resulted in Asquith’s Liberal Party forming a government with the support of John Redmond’s Irish Parliamentary Party.
The narrowly-beaten Arthur Balfour-led Conservatives, who had won slightly more of the popular vote, were furious and deeply resented what they regarded as the undue influence on government of a minority party from the Celtic fringe.
They commissioned illustrator G R Halkett to design the poster, titled Their Irish Master, which shows Redmond leading Prime Minister Asquith and his ministers Lloyd George and Winston Churchill by the nose towards Home Rule for Ireland.
Robert Hall of the pictures department at Bloomsbury said the large poster, measuring 30x39in, would have been intended for display at a public meeting and was a “rare survivor”.
It is included in next Thursday's auction of Oils, Watercolours, Drawings and Printswith the modest estimate of only £150-£250 (€174-€290).
For information about online bidding see bloomsburyauctions.com
