
Early Lists: Substance over style
It may surprise some to learn that Society List covers only changed markedly four times from its 1874 inception until the 1960s. Design-wise, the early Lists from The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited were more functional than beautiful. December 1880’s offering illustrates this, and it is fair to say its interior is of greater contemporary interest than its exterior! This is the earliest List in our archives: older ones were destroyed in bombing raids over Oxford Street in WWII.
The second cover design appeared in 1903 and can be seen here on the July 1914 List. Designed by artist, designer and decorator GM Ellwood, it would later be used as the source of inspiration for our labels for our Anniversary range.
From the 1930s, List covers began featuring The Wine Society’s original seal or emblem. It was designed internally by Mr T Neighbour (who later became The Society’s General Manager), remunerated by the Committee for his labours with the princely sum of two guineas.

1950s
The 1950s saw the introduction of colour to a List cover format that was otherwise minimalist in style. The 1960s were greeted with another consistent motif, before the creative shackles were well and truly thrown off for the remainder of the decade.

The 1960s: An explosion of creativity
The early 1960s began a much more exciting era of List covers, often experimental in design and varied in approach by issue, with charming light-hearted drawings rubbing shoulders with classically minded etchings, modern art and photography on an ever-changing basis. The Committee at the time recognised the need to produce more captivating ‘literature’ (as they called it) and really pushed the boundaries of what was possible in terms of print and design. It’s no coincidence that artists and designers were invited to join the Committee during this period. Particularly emblematic of the approach is the two covers that captured and commemorated the move to Stevenage in 1965, showing the plans for the site and a photograph of the finished Society buildings.
The 1970s: More of the different
Another decade in which the only constant was change, the 1970s saw a wide variety of artists and techniques deployed to delight our members. 1971 saw a brief flirtation with format as landscape Lists appeared for the first time and with colour-printed inserts for Christmas Gifts. The April 1973 cover showed off our much-loved Society vans with a delightful painting. Monochrome gravitas was the order of the day at the start of our centenary year in 1974 with a full-colour, gold foil-blocked edition at the height of the celebrations.
The 1980s: Finding consistency
From the late 1970s to 1987, the diversity of The List’s designs was united by a format that utilised white space in the top quarter and a larger font to bring a degree of consistency. The 1987 rebrand used a different motif to tie together the artwork, which began to favour illustration over photography as artists were commissioned from near and far.
The 1990s: Artistic direction
Jim Russell was an artist who sat on the Committee, and his influence looms large in the 1990s. He encouraged The Society to try new things and took an active role in spotting talent. Local artists were scouted and worked alongside established ones like David Gentleman, Graham Clarke and Sally Scott, many of whom were also Wine Society members.
The 2000s
The new millennium was welcomed on Society members’ doormats by a dramatic Burgundian scene by well-known artist David Gentleman. A particular highlight is also the collage made from labels from the newly redesigned Society-label range, itself the product of a partnership with the prestigious Slade School.
The 2010s to present
Lists from the 2010s began to shift in style, from contemporary and often region-specific commissions to a somewhat metatheatrical celebration of previous List covers, before the 2019 rebrand ushering in a series of new designs, seeking to champion the joy of good wine and set the product more in the context of our members’ lives.
>> Read more about the history of The Wine Society