W. E. Berry Ltd (1888 - 2004)
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 143 Collections and/or Records:
Anglo-American Circus Poster, Friday 4 Saturday 5 May 1945
Austen Brothers London Festival Circus Poster, c1980 - 1989
Nottingham the Forest. Black type and colour banner and footer. Printed by W.E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.
Austen Brothers London Festival Circus Poster, c1980 - 1989
Banstead. Black type and colour banner and footer on white background. Printed by W.E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Menagerie Poster, 18 - 28 March 1959
Billy Smart's Circus and Menagerie Poster, 26 October - 14 November 1959
Clapham Common. White and red type on blue and white background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1946 - 1999
Gloucester, The Oxleaze, 1-6 May. White, yellow and red type on blue and white background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1946 - 1999
Worcester, The Pitchcroft, 10-12 September. Plus Fairyland Fantasy. Yellow, white and blue type on dark blue, pink and white background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1946 - 1999
Clampham Common, 28 October to 23 November. White, yellow and red type on dark blue and white background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1946 - 1999
Porstmouth, Southsea Common, 27 July to 8 August. White, yellow and red type on dark blue and white background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Menagerie Poster, c1946 - 1999
Britain's largest circus. Produced by master showmen. White and yellow and red combined type on dark blue and red background with red and white border. Left blank to add location and date. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Wild West Show Poster, c1946 - 1999
Porstmouth, Southsea Common, 11-16 August. Yellow and orange type and white type on dark blue background with illustration of clown's face and arm in green bowler hat on top section. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd. Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus and Wild West Show Poster, c1946 - 1999
Brighton, The Level, 18-30 August. Produced by Master Showmen. Black, white and yellow and red combined type on white and dark blue background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Ball Poster, c1946 - 1999
Royal Albert Hall, 15 November. An evening of circus thrills, dancing supper, celebrities, sideshow and cabaret. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd, Nesfield Printing Works, Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus plus Western Spectacle Poster, c1946 - 1999
Billy Smart's Circus plus Western Spectacle Poster, 5 - 10 August 1957
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Clapham Common, South Side, open until 20 November. Colour illustration of baby elephant on blue background, wearing a pointy hat with a bauble and a green bowtie, seated on a circus platform in front of a small woman in circus band uniform wearing a tall red hat and black shorts, holding a poster with his trunk with the location and time of the circus, also yellow and white type. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Nesfield Printing Works Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, c1946 - 1999
Birmigham, Hay Mills, 18 March to 3 April. Colour illustration of elephant on blue background, wearing a pointy hat with a bauble and a green bowtie, seated on a circus platform in front of a small woman in circus band uniform wearing a tall red hat and black shorts, holding a poster with his trunk with the location and time of the circus, also yellow and white type. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Nesfield Printing Works Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 28 October - 23 November 1968
Clapham Common, South Side. Colour illustration of elephant wearing a tutu and a pointy hat with a bauble stood on a circus platform and a mouse dressed as an elephant trainer holding a whip on blue background. Printed by W. E. Berry Ltd Bradford.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 31 March - 5 April 1969
Peterborough, Agricultural Show ground. Colour illustration of bust of Billy Smart wearing hat and bow tie and holding a cigar with circus ring scene on the background showing wild west act.
Billy Smart's Circus Poster, 9 - 11 June 1966
Cheltenham, Sandford Mill Road/Old Bath Road. Colour illustration of bust of Billy Smart wearing hat and bow tie and holding a cigar with circus ring scene on the background showing wild west act.
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 140
- Collection 3
- Subject
- Acrobats 24
- Aerialists 45
- Animal trainers 13
- Animals 106
- Art 1
- Boxing 1
- Business 2
- Circus workers 1
- Clowning 73
- Comedians 7
- Contortionists 5
- Dance 6
- Diving 1
- Dwarfs (Persons) 4
- Equestrians 23
- Escape artists 3
- Fairs 3
- Fakirs 3
- Family 2
- Fire eating 8
- Freak shows 3
- Gymnasts 4
- Human cannonball 1
- Jugglers 12
- Knife throwing 2
- Magic 4
- Male impersonators 1
- Menageries 12
- Mimes 1
- Minstrel shows 3
- Motion pictures 6
- Music 2
- Music-halls 3
- Musical performances 5
- Pantomime 7
- Performers 103
- Pierrot 2
- Puppets 3
- Ringmaster 4
- Ringmistress 1
- Showman 7
- Showwoman 5
- Singing 6
- Skating 10
- Strong men 6
- Strong women 1
- Stunt performers 1
- Sword swallowing 1
- Trampolinists 1
- Transport 1
- Travel 1
- Variety 7
- Ventriloquists 4
- Wall of death 1
- War 5
- Wild west 16
- World War, 1914-1918 1
- World War, 1939-1945 5
- Wrestling 7
- Zoos 2 + ∧ less