Kingston Liberal says ‘Vote Labour’: a leaflet from 1945

Anthony Asquith, son of Liberal Prime Minister H.H. Asquith, stunt double in Boadicea and respected film director, never quite fulfilled the promise of his talent.

Graham Greene said of him, “Mr. Anthony Asquith was once a promising director, though he was always more tricky than imaginative”, but he was always in plenty of demand as a director, keeping him busy throughout his career.

That heavy involvement in the film industry helps explain his appearance in a Labour election leaflet in 1945, urging people to back the Labour candidate in Kingston, George Elvin.

Elvin was a trade unionist in the cinema industry, including serving as General Secretary of the Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians from 1934-1969.

In the 1945 election he polled 43% of the vote in Kingston-upon-Thames, a seat-winning share often these days but with just two candidates back then it means he lost heavily to the Conservative John Boyd-Carpenter who was on 57%.

For more gems from past election leaflets, see my collection How leaflets use to look.