Original Vintage Gentle Art of Making Guinness Poster Hop picking time in fields advertising ale Irish stout beer print wall art retro 1980s

This poster comes from the Guinness factory where the previous owner had collected them and it comes from a series drawn and painted by John Ireland in the manner of W Heath Robinson (WHR) for the 1981 Guinness calendar. These are not cut our from the calendar, but are likely advertising prints from the marketing department.
Dimensions: 18.5 in x 12.5 in (47 cm x 32 cm)
Condition: there is some foxing to the left hand side, and a fold in the bottom left.

This print, "Hop Picking time in the Guinness fields" shows detailed caricatures of men up ladders and using balloons to harvest the hops through... trousers. Yes, trousers.

There’s the epic accumulation of details, sprawling mechanical contrivances, elevated viewpoints and isometric perspective all conveyed in pitch-perfect mimicry of the much loved and non-threatening WHR style.

John Ireland wrote about them, "I had been asked a few years prior to 1980 to submit ideas for a Guinness Calendar but nothing came of it, and when I was asked to produce roughs for a W. Heath Robinson pastiche I was initially reluctant, suggesting I could do something in my own style. When it became obvious that they - J.Walter Thompson the advertising agency - were set on doing it their way, I decided that it was better I should do it rather than someone else mess it up and do Heath Robinson a disservice."

"There were similarities in our styles, which is presumably why I had been asked in the first place. I had been interested in his drawings since I was a child, having bought his books at jumble sales. The whole job went amazingly smoothly and following a guided tour of the Park Royal Brewery, it was left up to me to decide on which elements of production I should highlight."

"This is so unusual for advertising, normally you are presented with layouts that you have to stick to rigidly and all the copy has been written already. In this instance I even wrote the captions. My initial roughs were accepted with hardly any changes suggested. I only had to make the May drawing a little busier and ensure that wherever possible both bottled and keg beer should be depicted as apparently there was intense rivalry between the two divisions of the company. The barman in the December drawing is actually a portrait of Heath Robinson with his cat 'Saturday Morning' and the customer is my Father."

"The drawings do seem to have been popular, and I still get reports of sightings by friends as far afield as the USA and even deepest Russia. At the time of publication I also got a letter from Heath Robinson's son, saying how pleased they were with the results."

Because of the age of these posters, there are areas of wear and tear, particularly on the edges. I have done my best to take photos where they are torn or stained. The good news is that when framed, the tears press up well against glass, and edges can be hidden by mats. Any wear picked up from years are part of the vintage charm.

When framed these colourful and detailed posters, with vibrant colours can become a centre piece for any room, to remind us of a simpler time.

These posters are sent as unframed. They will be delivered in a cardboard backed envelope for protection.

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