By Georgia Kemp

Make sure you get nosey next time you walk past a skip.

Steve Summers, from Newcastle, found a collection of original American 1940s war posters in a rubbish skip, and will see them go under the hammer at auction for an expected £4000.

“These posters are very emotive and more hard-hitting than the British equivalents,” said auctioneer Giles Hodges. “They were aimed at getting the message across to Americans about the war and encouraging their commitment.”

Steve, an operations manager from South Shields, came across the 30-plus posters when he was working for an aerospace company at Long Island in the United States.

“The company premises were being redecorated and as I walked through one office they were throwing the posters out,” he said. “I asked them if I could have them for my walls. The posters had been delivered to the works during the war, but for some reason had never been put up.”

When Steve came back to the UK, he stored the posters in his father’s attic and forgot about them. After returning to Britain, he’s decided to put them on the market. Mr Hodges said: “Most of them are as they were when they were folded up all those years ago.”

Nice one Steve – that’s encouraged me to get more eagle eyed around rubbish!

Source: Journal Live