Pre-WWI British Naval Propaganda

The item I have is a very rare piece with artistic, historical and literary significance. From 1891-1912, there was a weekly periodical printed in London, England called Black and White: A Weekly Illustrated Record and Review. In this periodical, many now famous artists and authors, for example Bran Stoker, Conan Doyle, and Robert Lewis Stevenson, gained notoriety. Black and White often included removable supplements in the forms of posters to highlight the work of various artists, and one of these poster prints is what I have today. Not only is it of literary significance due to the limited range in which this periodical was printed, it is also of historical significance due to its naval history context. Additionally, the piece of itself is a beautiful example of Victorian art.

The print is “The House that Jack Built” by G. Grenville Manton. In this Pre-WWI piece of artwork, Manton is promoting the construction of the very first of its class, the HMS Dreadnought, what would become the standard for battleship innovations in the British Royal Navy. While the piece has the artistic quality of its Victorian Era, it can easily be seen as an early form of military propaganda poster as it touts the success of the navy produced under the Union Jack flag.

When the frame, which has helped to preserve this print to an exceptional quality, is removed, one can easily see at the bottom the markings of “Printed by Black and White”, which dates the piece easily to 1906-1912, since the battleship was constructed in 1906 and the periodical merged with another London periodical The Sphere in 1912. The artist and title of the piece are also clearly visible. When the back of the print is viewed, one can still see how it originally was folded into fourths to be printed as the periodical supplement. Thankfully, the folds are not visible from the front side due to the length of time the piece has been in the frame.

Whether a collector of rare literary pieces, Victorian art prints, pieces of British naval history, or even military propaganda posters, this piece that is indeed over 100 years old would be a fine addition to any collection.

Does anyone know any other info about this piece?