Even though the sizes of British posters
are simple and primarily based on the paper company sizes, the TERMINOLOGY
can get quite confusing. Because the primary base posters are multiples
of each other, different people have used different sizes and created different
terms...... This is not just collectors either.... Let's look at a couple
of sample:
The Crown: measures 15x20 - commonly called
a Half Double Crown or a Day Bill.
Door Panel - measures 20x60 - sometimes
called a Quad Crown (4 crown posters on top of each other). Some studios
gave a choice of having the Quad Crowns in 20x60 or 30x40.
The Double Crown: measures 20x30 - Some
older collectors call this size a UK One Sheet (different from a British
One Sheet). At times the double crown has been used as the base size instead
of the crown creating a LOT of terminology problems with some collectors
calling the Quad a 2 Sheet.
Quad - Initially it was issued in the 1910s
and called the Quad Crown and then disappeared in WWI. Since the late 1930s
when it was used again, it has become the standard size. The studios termed
this new horizontal size the Broadside Quad... and sometimes just called
it the Broadside.
Bus Stop Posters - the original Bus Stop
posters were 40x60 - some collectors call these a 2 Sheet because they were
exactly 2 times the Quad which is 30x40. A lot of Bus Stop posters have
become 45x70 which has made it easier.
Even the Studios created Confusion
Three
Sheets - Before WW2, British studios called this size the 6 sheet because it
was 6 times the size of a 20x30 which was a standard size. Notice the image
on the left. This clip is from the British Pressbook for Grand Hotel showing
the 2 different styles of 3 sheets that were available..... EXCEPT.. they
call them 6 sheets..
6 Sheets - Also on this same pressbook,
what we call a 6 sheet, they call a 12 sheet. Again basing the size on the
double crown as the base size instead of the crown.
24 Sheets - Again several studios used the
double crown as a standard and called these 48 sheets.
So when you are discussing larger British
paper with other collectors....... BE SURE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
SAME SIZE.