John Hassall RI (1868 - 1948) - British artist

Sketching at a Red
Cross fund raiser 1918

Born in Walmer, Kent, UK on 21st May 1868, John's parents were Christopher Clarke Hassell a Royal Naval Officer,. and his wife, Louisa Sparkes.   

Educated in Worthing at Newton Abbot College before going on to Neuenheim College, Heidelberg, Germany, John emigrated to Canada with his brother Owen in 1888, after failing to gain entry to Sandhurst Military Academy . He returned to London two years later when he had drawings accepted by the “Graphic” a British weekly illustrated newspaper. At the suggestion of Dudley Hardy (along with Cecil Aldin, a lifelong friend), he went to study art in Antwerp and Paris. During that period he was influenced by the famous poster artist Alphonse Mucha.

In 1895 John began working for David Allen & Sons designing advertisements, which developed into a 50-year career. He also produced a large number of volumes of fairy tales and nursery rhymes.  

In 1900 he opened his own New Art School and School of Poster Design, in Kensington, but the school had to close at the outbreak of the First World War.

Examples of John Hassell's WW1 work:

A poster urging people to help Belgium.

A Tank in Action
Now in the British Tank Museum