Edward VII Coronation Lithograph and Calendar, 1902.

This impressive large-format lithographic print of King Edward VII was issued by Tower Tea in 1902 to commemorate the beginning of the new monarch’s reign. Combining royal portraiture with commercial advertising, it was distributed to retailers throughout Britain as an attractive wall display intended to remain in use throughout the year.

This example was presented to William Henry Watson, grocer of 24 Crescent Street, Grimsby, whose name and address are printed beneath the portrait and flanked by miniature calendars for 1902. The lithograph also advertises Watson as an Agent for Tower Tea and notes his reputation for supplying the “best brands in ham and bacon”. Census and trade directory records trace Watson’s career over many decades. In 1891 he was a grocer’s assistant living at 21 Crescent Street. By 1901 he had established himself as proprietor of No. 24, remaining there until at least 1915. In 1921 he had retired and, as a widower, was lodging with a couple in Weelsby Street. The business continued under his son, John William Watson, who was still trading as a grocer at 24 Crescent Street in 1935.

More than a century later, this lithograph survives not only as a striking example of Edwardian advertising and royal commemoration, but also as a tangible link to a Grimsby family business that served the local community across two generations.