Liverpool Then and Now takes the reader on a journey through a city once considered the ‘second city of empire’. So great was the volume of commerce flowing through the port of Liverpool in the nineteenth century that it sometimes eclipsed London. This wealth produced many fine buildings, giving rise to a second Bank of England building, the classical architecture of St George’s Hall— today the Walker Art Gallery—and Liverpool’s ‘three graces’; the Liver, the Cunard and the Port of Liverpool buildings.

Some 70 historic photographs of Liverpool’s past are paired with specially commissioned contemporary views taken from the same vantage point. You can see the same streets and buildings as they were ‘then’ and as they are ‘now’. It includes Lord Street, Albert Dock, Speke Airport, Goodison, Aintree, Lime Street Station, the Mersey Tunnel, plus the ferry across the Mersey and the place where it was famously celebrated in song, The Cavern. There are also some of Liverpool’s closest neighbours, Birkenhead, New Brighton, Port Sunlight and the glorious Victorian promenades of Southport.

Part of the bestselling ‘Then and Now’ series, this charming contrast of old and new photographs highlights the stunning changes – and the equally amazing similarities – of one of the most loved cities in Britain, its well-known places but also some of its hidden gems.

The illustrations of Brian Cook from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s have become iconic. His heightened use of colour, in a flat colour poster style, is much imitated, but never surpassed. His jacket covers for the Batsford series of books that celebrated British life are now very collectable. This collection of his best work is a beautiful publication that should be enjoyed not only by collectors but all lovers of good design and illustration. 

Brian Cook describes his working processes, the then-new printing process that allowed him to pioneer his characteristic bold colours, and the design principles and practical methods of his craft. A stunning book for designers.

Manchester United Then and Now takes a nostalgic look at the way football’s most charismatic club has changed over more than a century. Starting with its earliest form, Newton Heath LY&R, the book traces United’s railwaymen roots, visiting the previous stadia in Manchester where they played before the major move to Old Trafford in 1910. Scenes of past triumphs and tragedy are revisited and photographed as they look today. From the FA cup celebrations of 1948 to the dark days of Munich in 1958, historic photos are given a new context. Archive pictures of old training grounds, long forgotten digs, players’ favourite bowling rinks, even their old cars are featured alongside their modern day counterparts. There are short histories of the four United legends who have statues outside the ground today, Sir Matt Busby and the trinity of Law, Best and Charlton. Plus there is a comprehensive visual history of the evolution of Old Trafford from the 1920s with a single stand, through the bombing devastation of the second world war, rapid expansion in the 1960s to its present day majesty as the ‘Theatre of Dreams’. Manchester United Then and Now gives a unique and fascinating insight into the history and heritage of the most successful English Premiership club.

A sourcebook of 1960s fashion print – the apogee of fashion print – that will be the inspiration for designers for years to come. The creativity of the period is given full expression in this sourcebook of hundreds of designs that makes it an essential for contemporary design practitioners and students. The book contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork from designers as well as finished prints. Each short chapter introduction is followed by a range of illustrations with captions to give provenance and relevance. The prints are arranged in the chapters: • Art into Pop: fashion prints that saw the influence of Pop Art • Revivals and Reflections: Biba’s revival of 19th-century designs • Flower Power: floral designs, from Marimekko to Ken Scott • Lost in multicoloured hues, kaleidoscopic colours and psychedelia prints • Magical Mystery Tour: the influence of other cultures on print design

A reissue of a truly classic title on the Batsford backlist. First published in 1935, it is a wonderful snapshot of our capital before the Second World War, and a charming insight into our attitudes to urban life back in the Thirties. Our posh guide Cohen-Portheim offers us his interpretation of life in London through her people, her buildings and her history.

The chapters include:

Towns within

Town Streets and their Life

Green London

London and the Arts

London Amusements and Night Life

Hotels and Restaurants

Traditional London

London and the British

London and the Foreigner (surprisingly liberal!)

It includes the iconic Brian Cook cover illustration of Ludgate Circus and St Pauls, and should be sought after for that alone. Add in the charm of the authentic voice of a 1930s Londoner, it should be enjoyed by all Londoners.

Jake Winkle’s loose, fresh and spontaneous style of painting is very popular.  His paintings are full of light and movement and a key feature of his technique is that he doesn’t work in the traditional way of light to dark but by placing the darks first.  In Light and Movement in Watercolour, his first book, he demonstrates how to paint watercolours in a loose, direct way by step-by-step demonstrations and practical projects.

Watercolours are often spoiled by a desire to be entirely truthful to the subject matter, which can lead to a painting that is overworked and tight.  Jake’s loose approach avoids those problems.  He looks at subject simplification and shows how to focus on shapes rather than objects and, by painting what you see and not what you know, demonstrates how to capture the essence of the scene with freshness and clarity.

The main topics in this book are:  Understanding Watercolour; Building Confidence; What to Paint; Shapes, Tones and Colours; Dark to Light and Freshness and Clarity.  Jake considers each topic in detail and shows the reader how to create paintings that glow with life, interest and spontaneity.

Colour is fundamental to painting and the ability to mix and reproduce specific hues is an art in itself. Colour theory can be dull and complicated, but in this book, experienced artist and teacher, Sharon Finmark, demonstrates colour mixing in a practical and easy-to-follow way.

In addition to being an extensive visual sourcebook to nearly 600 colour mixes, there are paintings featured throughout with all the different hues and mixes in each painting analysed and annotated. In this way, acrylic painters learn by application how to get the best out of their paints.

A stunning collection of the most iconic garments of the 20^th century, these vintage patterns chart the 30 key garments that defined their era. The book features a range of historically accurate garments, including a 1920s flapper dress, a 1940s New Look skirt, a 1950s jive skirt, a 1970s maxi coat, and many more.

Wonderful illustrations and photographs of period dress are accompanied by practical information on notable features, underwear and accessories for each period. Scale patterns follow for each outfit shown, complete with detailed notes on making up, using techniques appropriate to the period. A grid for enlargement of the pattern pieces is provided together with full instructions.

This is an essential book for any dressmaker interested in recreating period dress, especially film and theatre costume-makers, but also fashion designers and fashionistas looking for authentic and individual vintage garments.

The idea of group projects in textile art is nothing new – people have been coming together to sew for centuries, and quilters often work together on projects such as ‘story quilts’. But recently the trend has increased in popularity – textile artists regularly share ideas and work sociably, from simple one-to-one collaborations with friends to ambitious community projects and ongoing textile-art groups.

Well-known textile artists Cas Holmes and Anne Kelly have been involved in a very productive collaboration for several years, and also devise and run community textile-art events and gallery exhibitions, both together and separately. In this fascinating book, they present an invaluable guide to working collaboratively, in both small and large groups. They provide useful information on setting up groups, finding venues, establishing ground rules and working methods, and staging group exhibitions, plus a wealth of practical information for ways to work together – working on one project at the same time, swapping pieces between different people, creating different variations on a theme, developing work by means of joint sketchbooks, and even working postally or online. They also demonstrate how working with other artists can have a positive influence on your own personal work.

Illustrated with many examples of work produced collaboratively, this thought-provoking book will help you connect with other textile artists and take your own work beyond the personal. 

The use of text is currently very popular in textile art, and its creative potential is unlimited. Text can engage directly with the viewer to express personal concerns, social and political issues and even humour. In this exciting new book, Sara Impey, one of the world’s best-known textile artists and an innovator in using text in her work, presents the definitive guide to text in textiles. She aims to inspire makers with the confidence to use text, to illustrate how it can be used as a means of self-expression, and to provide advice on where to look for sources of inspiration.

The book includes a brief discussion of stitched lettering in history, and examines the current scene, including contemporary artists such as Tracey Emin. It then goes on to explore how to find inspiration for your work, whether personal or political, with exercises on how to get your thoughts organized. Finally, a wealth of practical tips are given on how to get text into your work, including hand-stitching techniques, computers and the new generation of sewing machines, photo transfer, found objects and the use of newsprint and other printed materials. It also contains valuable information on copyright. 

This fascinating book is perfect for any textile artist who wants to add an extra dimension to their work by incorporating text.

Celebrated quilt artist Sandra Meech’s last book, Connecting Art to Stitch, explored the ways in which fine-art concepts can be taken into stitch to make outstanding pieces of quilt art. In this exciting new title, the author turns her attention to the rules of design, and how they can be harnessed – and broken – to inform your quilt-art work. You will learn how to recognise good design, and the immutable rules all designers need to know. The author’s signature practical workshops and exercises help you translate these rules into your own textile work, stimulating your creativity and encouraging you to explore new textures, materials, techniques and compositions. Detailed analyses of textile artists’ work provide a breakdown of how design rules can be applied.

Illustrated with a wealth of inspirational images from the world’s best quilt and textile artists, this beautiful book is a must-buy for everyone who wants to create better textile art.

Introducing a beautiful new range of notebooks adorned with stunning illustrations and photographs from our rich archives. All exquisitely finished and cloth bound with woodfree paper, large pocket at the back and elastic closure.

These iconic images were originally commissioned for Batsford book jackets in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Brian Cook’s heightened use of colour encapsulates classic scenes of glorious countryside of old England and his work has become highly collectable.

The Villages of England by A.K. Wickham was first published by B.T. Batsford in 1932. The dust jacket illustration of the village of Kersey in Suffolk by Brian Cook was part of the innovative English Life series published by Batsford throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

Perfect for lovers of vintage book jackets!