The Beefeater & The Sketch Girl
Two Exceptional 1920s Royal Doulton Advertising Figures by Leslie Harradine
Discover these unique treasures in action! Ed Pascoe presents these extraordinary 1920s advertising pieces in detail, revealing their history, rarity, and value in the collecting world.
The Featured Pieces
The Sketch Girl
1920s • Never Issued an HN Number
This figurine is not listed in The Doulton HN series and was therefore never issued an HN number. Made for "The Sketch" magazine in the 1920s, this figurine is based on the cover girl drawing associated with the magazine.
The figure Miss Sketch appeared on the cover of that popular magazine, a pedlar figure carrying on her tray mini figures representing the varied topics covered by the magazine:
- A ballerina for the theatre
- A jockey for sport
- A cupid for love stories
- A soldier for current affairs
- The devil - we'll leave you to decide upon that topic!
This advertising figure represents the first generation of what we can term Royal Doulton's advertising figures from the innovative 1920s period.
The Beefeater
Designed by Leslie Harradine • Issued 1924
Official advertising figure by Royal Doulton known as the 'Standing Beefeater'.
This rather quaint figure produced in the early 1920s was created to advertise the once popular Illustrated London News magazine, which covered all topical issues including political comment, satire, and stories.
The Beefeater is a warder of the Tower of London, not a Yeoman of the Guard as is often stated. The Warder Beefeater served the Tower's prisoners and protected the Crown Jewels, but today they act more as tourist guides.
This figure holds an actual copy of the Illustrated London News from May 14, 1842, whose print is actually readable. Examples without any text do exist, but it is the original with readable text that is most sought after.
Historical Context
The 1920s marked the introduction of what we can term the first advertising figures in Royal Doulton's history. These unique pieces represent a crucial moment when Charles Noke, Art Director at Doulton's Burslem factory, successfully revived the long-neglected production of Staffordshire china figures.
Leslie Harradine, working freelance after WWI, became the home-grown talent that Noke's range needed. His creations for the HN range coincide with the dawn of the 1920s and the beginnings of the commercial success of Noke's revival, achieving what others had failed to do.
These advertising figures are not only exceptional collectibles but also fascinating testimonies to the marketing strategies and popular culture of the Art Deco golden age, representing Royal Doulton's innovative spirit in ceramic advertising.