Name: John Hassall; Advertising Food & Drink: the late 19th & early 20th Century
Start: 2026-02-05T14:30:00+00:00
End: 2026-02-05T16:00:00+00:00
Location: Southend Central Library at The Forum

John Hassall; Advertising Food & Drink: the late 19th & early 20th Century

Talk on “the king of poster artists,” with his images everywhere on streets, in shops, and across everyday life in the 19th & 20th Century
About this Event

‘John Hassall (1868–1942) was known in his lifetime as “the king of poster artists,” and his images were once everywhere: on streets, in shops, and across everyday life. This talk explores his food and drink advertising, drawing on material from the Hassall Archive, held by the University of Essex Library’s Special Collections.

We’ll look at posters, printed adverts, and working sketches, alongside entries from Hassall’s diaries and order books, to trace how his designs developed from commission to completion. Along the way, we’ll consider what these advertisements can tell us about everyday tastes, leisure, and daily life in early twentieth-century Britain.’

All images are courtesy of the John Hassall Collection. Special Collections, Albert Sloman Library, University of Essex

This event is part of Southend Libraries' Festival of Learning 2026