Uncovering Will True: Edwardian Posters by an Unsigned Master

Most postcard collectors will never have heard of William T. True. There’s virtually nothing to be found on the internet about him, except for a short biographical sketch in Geoff Hassell’s Artist Biographies. And yet, back in his day, Will True was a very much sought-after and prolific poster artist. A good number of his posters also appeared as postcards, some signed, many more unsigned.

To find out why he wasn’t really known to the wider public even though his name constantly popped up in explorations of posters, he was interviewed for the July 1898 issue of The Poster, which was a short-lived magazine dedicated to the art of the poster that appeared from 1898 to 1901. The interviewer, one S. Manors, travelled to Kensington, where True lived at the time, “and found Mr. True designing furniture of a most wonderful kind for his own residence, which is elaborately fitted up with a marvellous mixture of Orientalism and usefulness, but Truesque in all its grim grandeur.”

As the interview proceeds, we learn a little bit about True’s life, which, he reveals, he “started as a post-office clerk in Glasgow”, where he also launched his artistic career as an illustrator for the Glasgow Evening News. We also learn that he was born in 1866, that he “served for three years in the merchant service”, and that “his knowledge of ships and the sea is exhaustive”.

On being asked about his poster work, True explained to the interviewer that he had done several recently, “but you would not notice my name on them because it is not there”. That answered the question why he was not better known to the public. Puzzled, the interviewer then asked him why he would want to obliterate himself like that. “It is a common belief”, responded True, “that the firm of printers with whom I have been associated keep a special man employed in removing my cognomen”.

In an essay on pantomime posters, which was published in the Christmas 1898 edition of The Poster, one Charles Hiatt bemoans the “bad arrangement by which designers did not sign their posters”. Nobody, he writes, has suffered more from this “stupid anonymity” than Will True, “in spite of the fact that he has produced as many, and very probably more posters than any living Englishman”. According to this source,True designed “some thousands of pictorial posters”.

S. Manors, his interviewer, believed True to be “the most versatile posterist of the day” who can “turn out good stuff from the most uninviting details”. According to him, True also had a big heart, never refused a helping hand to those who knew him, made strangers feel at home with his light-hearted and open ways, possessed a knowledge of widely different subjects (including “theosophy and such matters”), and was “totally unbiased, save where hypocrisy and prudishness is concerned”. This sounds like True was someone very much worth knowing.

Product Advertising

This card, postmarked in 1903, is unsigned but confirmed to be Will True’s work from contemporary sources. When shown in The Poster, it was attributed to one M. Mallet, which is thought to be a pseudonym of Will True. John Hassall designed a very similar poster for Nestle’s.

Theatre

“My Darling” starring the “Gaiety Girl” Marie Studholme premiered in 1906 at the Hicks Theatre in London.This card was posted in London in 1907. Published by David Allen.

Published by David Allen, probably around 1911.

“Baby Mine” was an American farce comedy play that premiered on Broadway in 1910. This card promotes the play’s performance at the Grand Theatre in Leeds. Published by David Allen.

“An Englishman’s Home” was a patriotic threat-of-invasion play that premiered at London’s Wyndham Theatre in 1909 and anticipated WW1. It was a huge success.Published by David Allen.

This appears to be an advert for a play, published by David Allen, but I wasn’t able to find out anything about it.

John Tiller’s “Amsterdam” was actually a ballet, which premiered in Blackpool in 1903.

A not uncommon unsigned card that I’ve never seen attributed to Will True, but it is clearly his work. “The Lady of Ostend” was adapted from a German play by Francis Burnand. It premiered on Broadway in 1897 and at Terry’s Theatre in London in 1899. Published by David Allen.

“Lucky Durham” was the English playwright Wilson Barrett’s final play before his death in 1904.Barrett also happened to be the co-founder of Waddingtons, a company that produced many posters and postcards, including some by Will True.This card promotes a performance at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. Published by David Allen.

Pantomimes: Cinderella

“Cinderella” was a very popular pantomime in Edwardian England. This unsigned card was published by David Allen.

This one is unsigned too. Published by David Allen.

This card promotes a performance of the pantomime “Cinderella” at the Lyceum Theatre in Ipswich. Published by John Waddington.

This card was sent from the Thespian Theatre in Norton-on-Derwent to “The Blacksmith” in Malton on Christmas Eve 1904. The message reads: “Cinderella wishes you a prosperous New Year and hopes to see you on Boxing Night or some other time during the Xmas weak.”

This one promotes a performance of “Cinderella” at the Exchange Theatre in Ashford. Published by John Waddington.

Advert for a performance of “Cinderella” at the Royal Artillery Theatre & Opera House in Woolwich. Published by John Waddington.

Pantomimes: Robinson Crusoe

“Robinson Crusoe” was another favourite of the Edwardian stage. Unsigned. Published by David Allen and posted in 1903.

Unsigned as well. Posted in 1903 and published by David Allen

This one is signed. It was published by Alf Cooke in Leeds & London. The advertised performance was at the Prince’s Theatre in Bristol.

Pantomimes: The Babes in the Wood

Another staple of British Christmas pantomime, telling the story of two children who escape from the clutches of their would-be kidnapper, the evil robbers Horace and Humphrey, It also featured Robin Hood and his Merrie Men.