Liberty & Co. – Original “Agent for Liberty” Aluminium Shop Sign
£5,000
This aluminium shop sign was produced by Liberty & Co. around 1890 for use by authorised retailers under the title “Agent for Liberty.” It represents one of the earliest forms of Liberty’s retail identity, combining heraldic design with Arts and Crafts ideals to signal the firm’s association with craftsmanship and artistic manufacture.
The cast relief shows the Liberty name beneath a shield and crest, uniting industrial casting with hand-applied colour. The choice of aluminium, then a recently commercialised and lightweight metal, reflects Liberty’s interest in new materials while maintaining the handcrafted aesthetic that defined the Arts and Crafts movement (1880 to 1910).
These plaques were distributed to Liberty’s provincial stockists and displayed at shopfronts to confirm authenticity and connection to the Regent Street store. The present example retains its original polychrome paint, with areas of gentle oxidation and minor loss consistent with age. It survives as a rare document of late nineteenth-century British retail design and Liberty’s emerging national brand.
Width: 14.76 in (37.5 cm)
Depth: 1.97 in (5 cm)
1890-1899
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