Rare James Bond posters to go on display

An archive of rare James Bond posters and artwork collected by an avid fan is going on public display.

Marking the release of Skyfall and 007’s 50th anniversary, The Hospital Club in Covent Garden is exhibiting memorabilia owned by Fred Jakubowski-Zentner, 78, who ran Britain’s first cinema bookshop until his retirement. Some have never been seen in public and most will be for sale.

The show features about 50 posters, including a French one for From Russia With Love (1963), and another for Live And Let Die (1973), both pictured.

Other exhibits include the set design for Casino Royale in 1967. Fred’s son Yakob, 31, of Hampstead, said: “I can’t wait. I’m a Bond fan, this is a real joy.”

His father arrived in London as a refugee from Czechoslovakia and ran the Cinema Bookshop in Great Russell Street. Yakob said: “It was quite easy at that time [to collect memorabilia] because nothing was expensive, most was free. He ran into the lobbies and asked if he could have the poster.”

Yakob now manages the stock of 7,000 posters and a million film stills online.

The show runs from next Friday to October 29. Visit thehospitalclub.com