top of page
Mid-Century Art by Duke
Roscoe "Duke" Reading was a renowned commercial artist and owner of Reading Display in Boise, Idaho for over fifty years. He was a sign painter, display creator and most importantly, an artist.
Please follow the *link near the bottom of the page to read a column written about Duke and his art.
We are excited to announce that some of his hand drawn and lettered Mid-Century art is now available!
(Watermarks are for image protection only and will not be on products.)
About the Artist
Duke was a master of hand painted theater art. In the early days of cinema, each theater employed artists to create advertisements for new releases. Unlike modern movie posters, each was painted by hand on a wooden board. Here is one of Duke's creations for the Pinney Theater in Boise in 1931.
Sometimes the advertisements for movies were more elaborate like the one Duke painted in 1939 for Beau Geste.
Duke was drafted during World War II and in addition to being a soldier, he worked as an artist for the Army.
bottom of page