1918 Solignum White Ant Ad – WWI Era Timber Protection Vintage Ephemera

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Item ID: 297240936656
eBay Seller ID: britishfareasttraders
eBay Store Link: View this item
Category: Collectables:Advertising Collectables:Other Advertising Collectables
Condition: In decent condition. Please check our images.

1918 Solignum White Ant Ad – WWI Era Timber Protection Vintage Ephemera

Original Overseas Daily Mail war-period ad warning of white ant destruction, capturing a vivid piece of British industrial preservation history.

Measurements: approx. 4 3/8 x 7 inches
Dates: n/a
Condition: In decent condition, please see images. 
Internal notes: QC passed

Imagine the post-WWI world of 1918 — timber was scarce, rebuilding had begun, and every board, beam, and barrel mattered. This striking original advert from the Overseas Daily Mail dramatically warns homeowners and tradesmen of a creeping threat: the voracious white ant. The tone is urgent, the stakes real, and the message crystal clear — protect your timber or risk utter devastation. It’s an atmospheric slice of wartime life where domestic survival met practical industry, and every penny spent on prevention counted.

The advert promotes Solignum Wood Preservative, a product developed to guard against not only white ants but also dry rot and timber decay. The powerful image of a man surveying a structure laid bare by infestation adds dramatic weight to the bold caption: â€œDON’T BE ROBBED BY THE WHITE ANT”. Issued by Solignum Ltd., London, and printed in the 1918 Overseas Daily Mail, this is an authentic and historically rare survivor of early 20th-century British print advertising, directly tied to postwar construction concerns and pest control awareness.

This piece is far more than a promotional flyer — it’s a snapshot of British resilience, resource management, and a rapidly industrialising nation adapting to new threats. Collectors of WWI-era home front material, vintage pest control memorabilia, or timber trade ephemera will find deep historical and thematic value here. Preserving such items helps us trace how fear, innovation, and necessity shaped everyday British life. It is both a compelling visual statement and a practical call to action from an era of rebuilding.