Hampton Court | 1927

Hampton Court, 1927, by Clive Gardiner

This vivid poster shows a stylised view of the gardens at Hampton Court, dominated by an exuberant spray fountain at the centre, surrounded by clipped topiary, formal hedges, and classical stone urns. A parent and child stand at the water’s edge, while in the foreground a massive tree arches upward, framing the scene like a stage set. The composition uses flattened forms, bold outlines, and contrasting colours—particularly ochres, greens, and black.

Created in 1927 for London Transport, the poster was part of a campaign to promote London’s historic landmarks as accessible leisure destinations. Hampton Court, located on the River Thames in southwest London, was originally built for Cardinal Wolsey and later taken over by Henry VIII. By the 1920s, the palace and its formal gardens—including the famous hedge maze and Great Fountain Garden—had become popular with day-trippers.

Clive Gardiner (1891–1960) was a British painter, designer and influential educator. Trained at the Slade and the Royal Academy Schools, he later became Headmaster of Goldsmiths’ School of Art. Gardiner was closely associated with the modernisation of poster design in Britain during the interwar years. Drawing inspiration from Cubism, Futurism and the Russian avant-garde, he brought a bold, graphic dynamism to public information campaigns.