Editor's Picks

Plague doctor, 17th century artwork

Plague doctor. 17th century artwork titled Doktor Schnabel von Rom (Beak Doctor from Rome). The text is in Latin. The costume's bronze mask contained aromatic herbs and reduced exposure to bad air, as did gloves and an oiled undergarment and cloak. Bubonic plague (the Black Death) affected Europe from the 1340s to the 1700s, killing millions. This German artwork, by Paul Furst (1608-1666), is based on an earlier work by J. Columbina, and dates from 1656. This version is from Die Karikatur und Satire in der Medizin (Caricature and Satire in Medicine, 1921) by the German art historian and physician Eugen Hollander (1867-1932)

© SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Whitley Bay, LNER poster, 1930

Poster produced by London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) to promote train services to Whiteley Bay, Tyne and Wear. Artwork by Fred Taylor (1875-1963), who was commissioned in 1930 to design four ceiling paintings for the Underwriting Room at Lloyd's and murals for Reed's Lacquer Room. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and other London galleries and worked for the Empire Marketing Board, LNER, London Transport and several shipping companies

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Bluebell in Fairyland by Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss

Flyer for the revival of the musical Bluebell in Fairyland on 26th December 1927 at The Scala Theatre, by Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss, with music by Walter Slaughter. First produced as "Blue Bell" on 18th December 1901. Billed as The Most Charming of all Christmas plays. A crossing sweeper and a flower girl are seen on a giant toadstool surrounded by fairies. The same image was used for the programme. Production Designed by the Eminent French Artist, Mons.Georges de Feure Date: 1927

© The Michael Diamond Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library