Hampton Court Art for London Transport Coloring Book

Hampton Court was the favourite palace of England s King Henry VIII (reigned 1509 1547), who spent enormous sums of money turning it into one of the most magnificent palaces in his realm. About three centuries later Queen Victoria opened the palace and its gardens to visitors, creating a major public attraction.

In 1908, a man named Frank Pick was given responsibility for publicising the city of London s transport system, known as the Underground. He began commissioning artists to produce posters encouraging the public to use the system. He believed the posters could also enrich the quality of life in the city.

During the 1920s and 1930s, these posters reached a peak of stylistic quality. Designing a poster for the Underground became an honour among both great and aspiring artists. Pick was aware that almost every attraction in London, including Hampton Court, was within reach of the Underground. Eye-catching posters enticed travellers indirectly, by focussing on the destination rather than the mode of travel.

In this colouring book, you will find 22 posters featuring Hampton Court. The posters were created for the Underground by many different artists; the originals are shown as small pictures on the inside front and back covers. When you colour in these pictures, you can try to copy the original colours and style, or you might decide to use your own. The last page of this book is blank so that you can draw and colour in your own picture. Imagine your house as a grand English castle, and see if you can capture it on the page.