Police notice for lost bull and Great Dane dog at Church Gresley, Derbyshire

This police notice is offering a reward for finding a lost bull and Great Dane dog by the name of Bob. The dog was lost at Church Gresley on 8th November 1926. The dog is described as 11 months old, of brown and white mingled colour, with a piece out of its right ear and a burn scar on its hind leg.

Posters are some of the earliest forms of visual communication and can be traced back to the 15th century, thanks to the invention of the printing press. In the days before mass communication they were used to pass on information to the general public, such as promoting political parties, advertising products and events, recruiting soldiers and spreading ideas.

Such posted notices influenced the development of typography as they were meant to be read from a distance and so required larger type to be produced. By the 19th century, text-heavy posters printed from woodblocks were commonplace, but the rise of the more colourful pictorial poster didn't come about until the middle of the century, following significant advances in printing techniques.