Athena (retailer)
Encyclopedia
Athena is a British art retailer, and was formerly a large retail chain, famous for its distinctive poster
s.
in July 1964, and then bought into E&O PLC, by Chairman, Douglas H. Bayle. He expanded Athena to some 60 shops, making sure to keep the ethos on fine art reprints.
The company's popular success divided opinion amongst intellectual
s and art critic
s who were uncertain as to whether these works were too vulgar and populist to be considered art
.
The chain was sold off by E&O, in 1977 and then was acquired by the Pentos Group before Athena went into administration when it failed financially in 1995. Today, Athena survives as an e-commerce company under the brand name of Vivarti (with the byline "powered by Athena"), as well as a chain of seven stores, most of which have survived administration.
— a picture of a muscular man cradling a baby — became famous and sold millions, although it was the poster of Tutankhamun
, which became the biggest selling poster in the history of Athena. Also popular were a poster of a Hobbit
from the 1970s by Jimmy Cauty
, the Tennis Girl
poster from 1976 photographers like Salvatore salamone, and "Beyond City Limits
," published in the 1990s.
The annual calendars, including the girl in the long red and white socks, and an image of Telly Savalas
, were also a major feature.
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
s.
History
Athena's first shop was opened by Ole Christensen in HampsteadHampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
in July 1964, and then bought into E&O PLC, by Chairman, Douglas H. Bayle. He expanded Athena to some 60 shops, making sure to keep the ethos on fine art reprints.
The company's popular success divided opinion amongst intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
s and art critic
Art critic
An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...
s who were uncertain as to whether these works were too vulgar and populist to be considered art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
.
The chain was sold off by E&O, in 1977 and then was acquired by the Pentos Group before Athena went into administration when it failed financially in 1995. Today, Athena survives as an e-commerce company under the brand name of Vivarti (with the byline "powered by Athena"), as well as a chain of seven stores, most of which have survived administration.
Notable works
Posters such as L'EnfantL'Enfant (poster)
L'enfant, better known as Man and Baby is a 1987 photographic poster depicting a male model holding a young baby. The image, photographed by Spencer Rowell, was published and distributed in the 1980s by British company Athena Posters. The image reportedly sold over 5 million copies, making it...
— a picture of a muscular man cradling a baby — became famous and sold millions, although it was the poster of Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun , Egyptian , ; approx. 1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom...
, which became the biggest selling poster in the history of Athena. Also popular were a poster of a Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
from the 1970s by Jimmy Cauty
Jimmy Cauty
James Francis Cauty is a British artist and musician born in Liverpool, England, in 1956...
, the Tennis Girl
Tennis Girl
The Tennis Girl is a popular poster. It shows a young woman from behind walking towards the net of a tennis court with a tennis racquet in her right hand and her left hand reaching behind lifting her short tennis dress, showing she is not wearing any underwear.The photograph was taken by Martin...
poster from 1976 photographers like Salvatore salamone, and "Beyond City Limits
Beyond City Limits (poster)
Beyond City Limits is a photographic black-and-white, colour-tinted poster depicting a male and female sitting on a motorbike in Surrey with a dramatic fake sky superimposed. The image was taken by UK-based photographer Alwyn R Coates and was published and distributed in the 1990s by British...
," published in the 1990s.
The annual calendars, including the girl in the long red and white socks, and an image of Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
, were also a major feature.