WOKING.- He is one of the most successful British film poster artists ever, creating memorable designs for the James Bond franchise and Hollywood blockbusters. Top titles include Raiders of the Lost Ark, Prizzi’s Honor, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, The Emerald Forest, The Bounty, The Mosquito Coast and Highlander.

Now aged 86, Brian Bysouth, who also created artwork to promote video releases for hit TV series, such as Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation, is selling much of his original poster artwork at Ewbank’s, the leading Entertainment Memorabilia auctioneers.

Bysouth, a London-born artist, completed his National Service after attending Willesden School Of Art on a scholarship. Back in civvy street, he decided to make his living as a commercial artist and joined the Downtons agency. There he designed his first poster, for the film Tiger Bay (1959), starring John Mills, before going on to work on the James Bond Franchise, including the first two films, Dr No (1962) and From Russia With Love (1962).

The artist’s involvement with Bond was to continue for decades, including as a freelancer from the 1970s. Films sporting Bysouth artwork include For Your Eyes Only (1981) and The Living Daylights (1987) – the last Bond poster he worked on was for The World Is Not Enough (1999).

Non-film work included designing adverts for the launch of Capital Radio, a brewery and even Quaker.

Highlights in the December 1 auction include original artwork for Hearts of Fire (1987), the Bob Dylan vehicle co-starring Rupert Everett. Measuring 77 x 104cm and consigned by the artist with a letter of authenticity signed by Ewbank's Auctioneers, the estimate is £500-800.

A year earlier Harrison Ford starred alongside Helen Mirren and River Phoenix in the gripping thriller The Mosquito Coast, about an inventor who leaves society and takes his family to establish a new utopia in Central America. The blockbuster was as memorable for its cinema posters as it was for its plot, and here Bysouth offers 56 x 82cm original artwork for his design with a guide of £300-500.

The Hills Have Eyes is one of the best known horror films to come out of the US in the 1970s. When director Wes Craven completed the sequel in 1985, the makers turned to Brian Bysouth to design the cinema posters, and his 54 x 84cm original artwork is another highlight here, pitched at £500-800.

“Brian Bysouth is a legend among his fellow artists, as well as film fans. He designed the artwork for some of the most popular films of the past 50 years,” said Ewbank’s Head of Entertainment Memorabilia, Alastair McCrea. “Much of his work is iconic, highly decorative and perfect for any collector’s wall. To be able to offer original artwork as well is very exciting.”