Kerry Lee (1903 – 1988)
The Life of William Shakespeare and Map of Stratford-upon-Avon

Original vintage poster
46 x 60 cm
Published by Pictorial Maps Limited, Kerry Lee’s own company
c.1965

This edition of the map was produced around 1965. It depicts a map of Stratford-upon-Avon with several well known landmarks including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on the waterfront. As is typical for Lee’s maps, however, this map has a unique charm as it not only illustrates the geography of the town, but also the history, recounting the life of Stratford-upon-Avon’s most famous export, William Shakespeare. Lee scrawls a chronology of Shakespeare’s life over any and every free green space, referring to the playwright affectionately as ‘Will.’ Lee also frames the map with scenes from Shakespeare’s most famous plays, including Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest and Macbeth.

Well known as a creator of pictorial maps of British cities from the mid 20th century, he generally draws a self-portrait in the bottom corner by his signature – as here, where he is seen painting (mustachioed and bearded, and clad in a green tunic) with his ever-faithful dog Jim. Educated at Reading Schools of Arts and Science, the Slade and the Sorbonne in Paris, he subsequently assisted his step-father, an architect named Mr Harvey, as draftsman. Following the Depression Lee set up ‘Associated Artists’ at Blandford Studios off Baker Street, with a group of other commercial artists.

During World War 2 he was based in Hertfordshire creating detailed cut-away drawings of German aircraft, and after the war – still at Blandford Studios – published a series of pictorial maps, both those for British Rail and also his own publications.