The Propstore Pop Culture Live Auction takes place on July 2nd and features the rare 1980 British Royal Charity World Premiere Empire Day Poster for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, designed by Eddie Paul of FEREF with finished artwork by Ralph McQuarrie.
The British Royal Charity World Premiere (or “Empire Day”) poster is one of the rarest pieces of marketing material for The Empire Strikes Back and the Star Wars franchise as a whole. Designed by Eddie Paul of FEREF with finished artwork by Ralph McQuarrie, the image of Vader’s head is adapted from McQuarrie’s distinctive “Vader in Flames” design that collectors will recognise from the film’s crew patches.
As stated on the poster, “Empire Day” took place in London on the 20th May 1980. This date was very close to the original British Empire Day held annually on Queen Victoria’s birthday (24th May) between 1916 and 1958.
The 20th Century Fox marketing department took full advantage of the film’s release date as an army of Stormtroopers – in Jeeps and on foot – took to the streets of London, holding placards of this poster to build up the crowd’s already heightened excitement for the much-anticipated sequel.
Presented unrestored with a couple of minor surface creases (in the red under the date and under Vader’s right eye), some very subtle discolouration to the surrounding whites, and some minor handing wear including a 2 cm tear on the bottom border. Dimensions: 57 cm x 41 cm (22.25″ x 16.25″)
Find out more at the link below — happy bidding!
The post Propstore Auction: The Empire Strikes Back 1980 Empire Day Poster appeared first on Jedi News.
