Henry VIII 1509-1547 Hampton Court poster – Austin Cooper – 1931

Henry VIII 1509-1547 Hampton Court by Tramways poster – Austin Cooper – 1931

This vintage Hampton Court by Tramways poster was painted by the artist Austin Cooper. It was one in a series of posters to raise awareness of the newly created London Transport company brands. Each of the posters features a historical British monarch. One poster featuring King Charles I promotes the Underground Group. Another features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I and was produced to promote services by the  General bus company. This one featuring Henry VIII was produced to promote the city’s Tramways service.

This Henry VIII Tramways poster was created by Austin Cooper. Cooper was a Canadian–British illustrator and commercial artist well known for his advertising posters for the London and North Eastern Railway company. the Empire Marketing Board and the General Post Office.

For this poster Cooper has combined two famous portraits of King Henry VIII both produced by Hans Holbein the Younger around 1537. Although the original was destroyed in a fire in 1689, Holbein’s portrait of King Henry VIII has become one of the the most iconic and recognisable images of Henry and is one of the most famous portraits of any English or British monarch. 

Operated by private companies the first horse drawn trams were introduced in London in 1860. The first line ran along Victoria Street in Westminster. In 1870, an Act of Parliament was passed permitting the development of the tram. Despite being banned from running in the City and West End, an extensive tram network developed across the rest of the city. Lines between Blackheath and Vauxhall, Brixton to Kennington, Whitechapel to Bow and Kensington to Oxford Street amongst the first to appear. Fares were set at 1d (1 penny) per mile, with half-price early and late workmen’s services. The city’s tramway system proved popular with the general public. Trams were cheaper, smoother, roomier and safer than the competing Omnibus or Hackney carriages. 

London United Tramways (LUT) was formed in 1894, and operated London’s first electric tram service in July 1901. By 1906, ten municipal systems had been set up and by 1914 London operated the largest tram network in Europe. At their peak, over 3,000 trams carried a billion passengers a year over 366 miles of track.

The passing of the London Passenger Transport Act 1933 saw a major restructuring of much of London’s public transport took place. The London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was established and took control of a 30 mile radius of London’s transport systems. Under the Act the LPTB acquired the following concerns: the Underground Electric Railways Company of London which included the Bakerloo, Piccadilly, Hamptead and Highgate City and what are now the Northern, Bank and Morden underground lines. It also took control of the Central London Railway, District Railway and Metropolitan Railway. In addition 16 private or council run tram companies and 3 bus or coach companies were amalgamated into the new brand name of London Transport.

Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears, or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.

The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £12. So you can bag a bargain of print and frame for a great price.