Picture perfect town captured in poster
AN artist who creates posters of towns inspired by vintage-style city advertisements has captured Rochdale in his latest work.
Father-of-two, Eric Jackson, aged 61, chose the town as his latest subject to coincide with the launch of a new website for craftspeople, run by the Co-op.
He chose his favourite landmarks – the town hall and the Toad Lane Co-op store, and focussed on Rochdale as the home of the Co-operative movement.
Eric, a former journalist, said: “I’d meant to do a Rochdale poster two years ago, but never got round to it. Then the Co-op suggested I should do it to coincide with the launch of their new makers website, local. co.uk and I have.
“Of course I couldn’t ignore the original Co-op store on Toad Lane or the magnificent town hall. The models in the poster are my neighbours the Cook family. The tug of war thing ties in with ‘pulls it off’ and people working together.”
Eric, who lives in Cale Green, Stockport, paints towns across the north west and has created more than 50 posters. He has been collecting posters from around Europe over the past 30 years and decided to use the same style he had seen advertising cities like Rome, Florence and Paris, to depict places like Oldham, Altrincham – and now Rochdale.
He started selling his work at markets three years ago and now his posters are for sale in seven shops and online, with celebrities including John Thompson and Sarah Millican having purchased pieces.
“Although I had a 36-year career in journalism, I studied at art school and was always desperate to pick up a paint brush again,” said Eric. “I suppose I am proud of my work, it seems to make people smile. I also love to bang the drum for the north.”