Document of the Month
April 2009
Raleigh 'Easter Parade' advertising poster, 1953
Reference: DD/RN/4/18/55
Advertising campaigns often draw on events or major issues for themes and ideas. This poster from 1953 was created to tie in with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, whilst advertising Raleigh cycles.
As with any business, successful advertising was crucial, and Raleigh was no exception. Right from the very early days of the company, product catalogues and posters were made available to dealers and agents, in which the quality and workmanship of Raleigh cycles were championed. Early advertising often carried glowing references from satisfied customers who were more than willing to enhance the company's reputation for reliability and performance.
The 1950s produced some of the most colourful and prolific advertising campaigns in the company's history. Following the austerity of the Second World War and the years after, the 1950s saw the dawn of the "new Elizabethan era", and concentrated advertising campaigns.
See a larger scale version of the poster here [PDF 443KB]
The Raleigh Cycle archive can be viewed at Nottinghamshire Archives. Find out more about visiting the Archives here.
The catalogue for the collection can be viewed online via Access to Archives at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a
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