Maitre Plate Number 16
Beggarstaff 189612 x 16 in (29 x 39 cm)
ID #PN16
Beggrstaffs 1893-1899 the pseudonym used by Williams Nicholson 1872-1949 and his brother in-law James Pryde 1866-1941 used collage to lay out the bold blocks of color for the posters they designed.
the late 1890's there was a large Poster craze. People would host costume parties where the guests would dress up as their favorite poster icons. In Paris during this time there were over 40 dealers that sold the newly introduced medium of colored posters.
Les Maitres de l'Affiche was one way that people who had walls filled with posters could still collect. Jules Cheret's printing company started the poster of the month club. Subscribers received 4 posters each month (one always being by Cheret himself) and a bonus four for those who subscribed for the next year. It was a very popular series that ran for five years.