Richmond Park

This poster, commissioned by London Transport in 1938, was illustrated by the prolific artist Dame Laura Knight. It advertises travel to Richmond Park, a convenient and popular retreat for Londoners. Until medieval times London was surrounded by great oak forests. Richmond Park formed part of that forest and is home to oaks that are over 800 years old. Knight uses the oak, a traditional symbol of national identity, to mark to the great park's past, present and future. The twisted dead wood of an ancient oak stands to left, a mature tree at its optimum size dominates the foreground and tiny sapling grows in the centre. In 1949, the poster and original artwork appeared in Art for All, an exhibition of London Transport posters at the V&A. It was among the most valuable on show and in the top three for reproduction sales.