Page 157 - Swann Galleries - Modernist Posters - Sale 2314 - May 13, 2013

PATRICK COKAYNE KEELY (?-1970)
190 ● GEARWHEELS CATCH CLOTHES / KEEP YOUR GUARD ON. 1941.
30x20 inches, 761 /4 x503/4 cm. Loxley Bros. Ltd., [London.]
Condition B / B+: staining, losses and pin holes in corners; tape on verso along tears in lower left edge; tears
and abrasions at edges; creases in image. Paper.
Keely was one of the most talented poster designers of his era. He began working in the mid-1920s
and designed some exceptional modernist images for the Southern Railway. He adapted a more
illustrative, almost Surrealist style for the London Underground and a minimalist, constructive
approach with his posters for the GPO (which shared a similar, geometric approach to Lee-Elliott’s
work. During the war, he created some exceptional photomontages. Curiously, after the war he focused
his efforts on designing postage stamps, which he accomplished in a very conservative style. The direct,
morbid nature of this image makes it a highly-effective workplace safety notice. [400/600]
PATRICK COKAYNE KEELY (?-1970)
191 ● ZWARTE MARKT IS ROOF! 1944.
291/4x19 3/4 inches, 74 1/4 x501/4 cm. James Haworth & Brother, Ltd., London.
Conditon B+: creases in margins and image; sharp folds in corners. Paper.
This poster was issued by the Dutch military authorities in Great Britain during the early days of the
Allied liberation of the Netherlands. The dramatic, dark scene illustrates the slogan, “The Black Market
is Robbery / Do Not Steal from Your Country Men / Equal Distribution for All.” Keely shows an enemy
rat stealing grain, with the hungry eyes of other rats peering out of the darkness. [400/600]
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