Leonard Cusden
Somerset
Gouache, signed lower right
Image size: 17 3/4 × 27 inches (45 × 68.5 cm)
Contemporary oak gilt frame
Provenance
Commissioned by Great Western Railways 1934
Private Collection
This stunning artwork was commissioned for the book cover of the first edition of ‘Somerset’ by Maxwell Fraser, published by The Great Western Railway, London, 1934.
These books were made to encourage people to travel by railway to the countryside for holidays.
Leonard Cusden worked for the Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents, becoming RoSPA’s creative director after 1945 and played a key role in advising his colleagues on points of effectiveness and economy in design.
Cusden’s role within RoSPA allowed him to produce many designs for the society and to define its house style during the 1940s and 1950s. His is the largest number of designs within the archive of ROSPA.
Museums
Science Museum, London
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Victoria & Albert Museum
London Transport Museum
Wellcome Collection
