During the 1920s and 30s, American artist McClelland Barclay’s illustrations could be found in many widely circulated magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, and Collier’s. He moved on to great success making illustrations for movie posters, producing work for 20th Century Fox as well as Paramount Pictures, also briefly producing a line of cast metal decorative accessories in his popular style. Rather than license his work to a larger distributor, he chose to design and manufacture these under his own company, the McClelland Barclay Art Products Corporation.

The venture was cut short by his enlistment in the Navy in 1941. He produced recruitment posters and camouflage patterns for the armed forces before his death in 1943.

This ashtray, cast in grey metal with a bronze patina, is well worn but is an elegant example of Barclay’s style, featuring a woman in repose and the artist’s mark along the side.

SKU: 12855