Poster Power! Showcasing 200 years of poster design in Britain
Discover 200 years of British poster design at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. Opening on 23 January, the new Poster Power! exhibition will showcase an exceptional range of British advertising posters from the 19th and 20th centuries, drawn from the collections of the Victoria Art Gallery and Bath Record Office.
Reflecting the spirit of the times, the display will encompass posters promoting events and entertainment, theatre shows, travel and transport, political campaigns and even World War One recruitment. Visitors will discover how poster design has developed over time, and take a nostalgic journey through the events and products advertised over two centuries.
Many of the posters have links to the Bath area, advertising local events such as Theatre Royal shows, the Bath & West Show, community events on Walcot Street, and Bath Festivals through the ages. The oldest and most recent posters in the exhibition are both for the Theatre Royal: one from 1805, when the theatre moved to its current building, and one from 1989.
There will be a selection of posters by Bath-based artists Clifford and Rosemary Ellis, who worked as partners designing iconic posters for London Transport and Shell during the 1930s. Their imagery reveals an overwhelming interest in, and love of, the British countryside and the creatures that inhabit it. They also shared a love of fresh, bright colour and bold design.
The exhibition will also feature a stunning selection of vintage railway posters designed to entice tourists to Bath, with beautiful images of Georgian architecture and The Roman Baths.
To complement the fantastic range of railway posters there will be a ride-on train for younger visitors, bringing the travel theme to life, and a farm-themed area alongside vintage posters from the Bath & West Show, with books, activities and a fuzzy felt animal wall inspired by designs in the exhibition. Families can also enjoy a free children’s trail, as well as craft activities in the school holidays.
A guided tour of the exhibition will take place on Thursdays from 1.30pm to 2pm, free with an exhibition ticket.
Poster Power! will run from 23 January until 10 May 2026.
