Donia Nachshen

Donia Nachshen came from a Jewish family. Her brother, Maurice (Moshe ben Zvi) was born in 1899 and lived in Zhitomir, until he immigrated, as a child to London in 1906. Donia was born in Russia, and studied at Slade School of Fine Arts, London.

Nachschen was a book illustrator for John Lane who also designed posters for the Post Office, 1943. A selection of books that Nachshen illustrated include: fifteen original drawings for the book The Works of Oscar Wilde in c.1915; the fictional work The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler; The Red Lily in 1930; Little Lucky Lamb poetry in 1943; and The Haggadah translated by Cecil Roth, published by the Soncino Press.

Note: Sometimes referred to as Denia Machsen or Donia Machshen.

Clive Gardiner

Gardiner illustrated the book ‘Leaves in the Wind’ in 1919, designed a (famous) poster for Kew Gardens in 1926, and posters for LT, including “At London’s Service”. Some of his work is archived at the LTM, where he is described as a ‘well-known artist’, with the Columbia Encyclopaedia describing him as one of the ‘outstanding poster designers’ of the twentieth century. Gardiner was headmaster at The School of Art at Goldsmiths’ College between 1929 and 1958, under whom it became a respected institution.