Recording Britain, Oxford University Press, 1946-49.
Welcome
Welcome to Recording Britain, a curated anthology of historical artworks, artist biographies and original responses related to the ‘Recording Britain’ project – a landmark cultural initiative launched in 1940 which documented the nation’s threatened heritage during the Second World War.
I’m Ben, a writer and researcher based in the UK. I write mainly about culture, especially books and film, but also creative fiction and non-fiction, often blurring the lines between the two. I read for my BA in American & English Literature at the University of East Anglia, and later my MA in Modern English Literature at the University of Sussex. My first book-length work, based on my experience reading Marcel Proust, was published as an ebook in early 2025.
For the last 10 years I’ve worked in the cultural sector, where I’ve developed my interest in visual arts alongside my literary practice. Discovering Recording Britain has sparked an interest in many of the forgotten figures of early 20th century British Art, and my intention is to celebrate them, and the wider project, here. Everything is free, so I hope you will join me.
What was Recording Britain?
The Recording Britain project was a cultural initiative launched in 1940 to create a visual record of British towns, villages, and landscapes threatened by enemy bombing, military development, or post-war modernisation.
Headed by Sir Kenneth Clark and sponsored by the Pilgrim Trust, it commissioned over 90 artists – including John Piper, S. R. Badmin, Edward Bawden, and Mildred Eldridge – who produced more than 1,500 watercolours and drawings of historic buildings, public houses, rural scenery, and industrial sites.
Beyond just topographical documentation, the project served as an act of national morale, preserving a visual memory of threatened heritage. Published in four volumes by Oxford University Press (1946-1949), the collection is now housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, offering an evocative portrait of Britain at a pivotal moment in its history.
What you can expect
I’ll be posting 3-4 times a month. Everything is free, and that includes:
Artist biographies – Researched biogs that explore the life and work of the artists who contributed to the Recording Britain project.
Gallery – Artworks and accompanying text from the original four published volumes of Recording Britain, with my additional notes.
What Remains? – My journey to find the places recorded in the original project and compare them with what’s there now.
Any other related public posts and updates.
Acknowledgements
All the original 90+ artists. The Pilgrim Trust. Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith; Mr PH Jowett, RWS; Sir Kenneth Clark, KCB; Mr W Russell Flint, RA; Mr Arnold Palmer; and Mr Geoffrey Cumberlege of Oxford University Press.
So please join me on this journey into the weeds of the Recording Britain project. Your subscription means the world to me. Thanks!