Brian Cook’s artwork is sought after by collectors throughout the world. The bulk of his work is reflected in the book jackets he designed for B.T.Batsford publishing (now owned by Pavilion Books). In addition, Cook’s work includes posters, drawings, paintings, and rare personal Christmas cards.
Examples of most of Cook’s commercial work can be found in his two major books: The Britain of Brian Cook, published by BT Batsford in 1986, and Brian Cook’s Landscapes of Britain, published in 2010. Copies of these books may be found for purchase on Amazon.com or other online sources.
What follows is an alphabetical list of Cook’s work. Click on a letter grouping below or scroll down the page. Each title is linked to the gallery in which it belongs - either as part of a series, an individual work, or a personal Christmas card designed by Brian Cook.
We are always finding new images and will update the galleries accordingly. If you have collected a volume, poster or other work that we don’t have and would like to share it, we would love to hear from you!
A - C
A Catalogue of Books - Cover for a General Catalogue. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
A Modern Columbus - by by S.P.B. Mais. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
The Alps - by R.L.G. Irving. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Ancient England - by Edmund Vale. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1941, format Demy 8vo.
Batsford Companion to Local History - by Stephen Friar. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1991.
The Beauty of Britain - Introduction by J.B. Priestly. The Pilgrim’s Library. First published in 1935, and again 1937 with a different jacket design, format Crown 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. An imaginary landscape.
Bristol - by Tudor Edwards. The British Cities Series. First published in 1952, format Crown 8vo. Executed in pen-and-wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.
Britain's Mountain Heritage - by Arthur Gardner. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1942, format Demy 8vo.
British Hills and Mountains - by J.H.B. Bell, F.F. Bozman and J. Fairfax Blakesborough. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté.
British Plants and Their Uses - by H. L. Edlin. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1951, format Demy 8vo. Executed in pen-and-wash overprinted on Jean Berté.
British Woodland Trees - by H.L. Edlin. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1944, format Demy 8vo. Two designs executed.
Buckinghamshire - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Cambridge - by John Steegman. The British Cities Series. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo.
Canterbury - by William Townsend. The British Cities Series. First published in 1950, format Crown 8vo. Executed in pen-and-wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.
Cathedral Close - by Susan Goodyear. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
The Cathedrals of England - by Harry Batsford and Charles Fry. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1934, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Gloucester Cathedral seen from the southeast.
Cheltenham - by Bryan Little. The British Cities Series. First published in 1952. Executed in pen-and-wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.
Cheshire - The Little Guides.
Chiltern Country - by H.J. Massingham. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. The road to Fingest and Turville, Buckinghamshire.
Chinese Art. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
The Cinque Ports - by R.F. and F.W. Jessup. The British Cities Series. First published in 1952, format Crown 8vo. Executed in pen-and-wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.
College Square - by Susan Goodyear. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Cotswold Country - by H.J. Massingham. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1937, format Demy 8vo. Cover design executed in oils.
Constitution Hill, Southwold - by Brian Batsford. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Corn Country - by C. Harry Warren. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo.
Cornwall - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The Countryman's England - by Dorothy Hartley. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1935, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté.
Curiosities of Town and Countryside - by Edmund Vale. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo.
D - E
Derbyshire - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Devonshire - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Dorset - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
East Anglia - by Doreen Wallace. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1939, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
England and the Farmer - by H.J. Massingham. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1941, format Demy 8vo.
England in Colour - by Charles Bradley Ford. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published with this title in 1937 using a colour photograph and the title The Coloured Counties. Republished using a Brian Cook design in 1939, format Demy 8vo.
England Under Trust - by J. Dixon-Scott. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published 1937.
The English Abbey - by F.H. Crossley. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1935, format Demy 8vo. Two cover variations executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. The first represents Whitbey Abbey, Yorkshire; the second shows a pastoral scene with Llanthony Abbey, Monmouthshire (now Gwent) in the distance.
The English Castle - by Hugh Braun. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vp. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Ludlow Castle, Shropshire.
English Church Craftsmanship - by F. H. Crossley. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1941, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. The Retro-Quire, Winchester Cathedral.
English Church Design 1040 to 1540 A.D. - by F.H. Crossley. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1945, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. The church at Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk.
The English Cottage - by Harry Batsford and Charles Fry. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1938, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. A cottage at Bignor, Sussex.
The English Country House - by Ralph Dutton. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1935, format Demy 8vo. Two cover variations executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Based on Owlpen Manor, Gloucestershire.
The English Countryside - with essays by H.J. Massingham and others. The Pilgrim’s Library. First published in 1939, format Crown 8vo. There was a second cover (not shown in gallery) executed in pen-and-wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.
The English Downland - by HJ.J. Massingham. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vo. Cover design executed in oils. An imaginary Sussex Downland scene.
The English Garden - by Ralph Dutton. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1937, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. The gardens at Canons Ashby, Northhamtonshire.
English Lakeland - by Doreen Wallace. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The English Lakes - by F. G. Gabant, revised by B.L. Thompson. The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
English Village Homes - by Sydney R. Jones. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. An adaptation of Mere, Wiltshire.
English Villages and Hamlets - by Humphrey Pakington. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1934, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Based on the village of Ruardean, Gloucestershire.
English Woodland - by John Rodgers. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1941, format Demy 8vo.
Essex - by J. Charles Cox, revised by C. Henry Warren. The Little Guides. First Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Everyday Art at School and Home - by D.D. Sawyer. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Exeter - by Bryan Little. The British Cities Series. First published in 1953, format Demy 8vo.
F - H
The Face of Ireland - by Michael Floyd. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1937, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The Face of Scotland - by Harry Batsford and Charles Fry. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1933, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. An imaginary scene incorporating Eilean Donan Castle.
The Face of Ulster - by Denis O’D Hanna. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1952, format Demy 8vo, a post-war echo of
The Face of Wales - by Tudor Eedards. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1950, format Demy 8o. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. Two designs executed. The first shows the Snowdon Range from Capel Curig.
Farming England - by A.G. Street. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1937, format Demy 8vo.
Forestry and Woodland Life - by H.L. Edlin. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1947, format Demy 8vo. Executed in two designs.
The Geology and Scenery of Britain - by T.G. Miller. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1953, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. Not originally published as one of The Face of Britain series, although it was sometimes marketed as a part of it.
Gloucestershire - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The Greater English Church - by Harry Batsford and Charles Fry. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. The Nave of York Minster with the Quire behind.
Hampshire - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The Heart of England - by Ivor Brown. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1935, format Demy 8vo. Original cover executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berte. A later edition, with a different cover appeared in 1951. The front at Brighton, Sussex, with the Metropole Hotel.
The Heart of Scotland - by George Blake. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1934, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. A Scottish fishing village based on Crail, Fife.
The Heart of The English Midlands - by J.H. Ingram. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1947/48, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The Heidelberg News - No. 70 Vol 6. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Here's England - by Dorothy Hartley. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1933.
Hertfordshire - by W. Branch Johnson. The Little Guides.
The Highlands of Scotland - by Hugh Quigley; photographs by Robert M. Adam. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vo. Executed in oils. Gruinard Bay, Ross and Cromarty.
The History of Spanish Architecture - by Bernard Bevan. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
The Home Countries - by S.P.B. Mais. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1942/43, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. A depiction of suburbia.
Homes and Gardens of England - by Harry Batsford and Charles Fry. The English Life Series. First published in 1932, format Large 8vo. The house and gardens at St. Catherine’s Court, Somerset.
How to Grow Food - by Doreen Wallace. Home Front Handbooks Series. First published in 1940, format Crown 8v0o.
How to Look at Old Buildings - by Edmund Vale. Home Front Handbooks Series. First published in 1940, format Crown 8vo.
How to See Nature - by Frances Pitt. Home Front Handbooks Series. First published in 1940, format Crown 8v0.
How to See the Country - by Harry Batsford. Home Front Handbooks Series. First published in 1940, format Crown 8vo.
Hunting England - by Sir. W. Beach Thomas. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1936, format Large 8vo.
I - O
Interiors of St. Paul’s Cathedral - Other Jackets by Brian Cook. A drawing executed for Messrs R.T. Tanner and Co. Ltd. Pen-and-Ink. Date probably the late 1940’s.
In Search of England - by H.V. Morton. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1927.
The Islands of England - by J.H. Ingram. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1952, format Large 8vo. Executed in gouache, printed by offset lithography.
The Islands of Ireland - by Thomas H. Mason. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache, printed by offset lithography.
The Islands of Scotland - by Hugh MacDiarmid. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1939, format Large 8vo. Original and alternate design executed in gouache, printed by offset lithography.
The Isle of Wight - by R.L.P. and Dorothy M. Jowitt. The British Cities Series. First published in 1951, format Crown 8vo. Executed in pen-and-wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.
Kent - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Lancashire and The Pennines - by Frank Singleton. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1952, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The Land of Egypt - by Robin Fedden. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
The Land of France - by Ralph Dutton and Lord Holden. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
The Land of Wales - by Eiluned and Peter Lewis. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1937, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté.
The Landscapes of England - by Charles Bradley Ford. The English Life Series. First published in 1931, format Large 8vo. An imaginary coastal scene based on the headlands of Great and Little Hangman, North Devon.
The Legacy of England - A collection of essays. The Pilgrim’s Library. First published in 1935, format Crown 8vo. Executed in scraper board overprinted on Jean Berté. Adapted from Castle Combe, Wiltshire.
Life and Work of the People of England - by Dorothy Hartley & Margaret M. Elliot. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Lincolnshire and The Fens - by M.W. Barley. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1952, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
London Work and Play - introduction by Harry Batsford. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1950. format 8 7/10 x 6 3/8.
The Lowlands of Scotland - by George Scott-Moncrieff. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1939, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Medieval Styles of the English Parish Church - by F. E. Howard. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published 1936.
Midland England - by W.G. Hoskins. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1949, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. The village of Wicken, Northamptonshire.
Nature in Britain - with essays by Henry Williamson and others. The Pilgrim’s Library. First published in 1936, format Crown 8vo.
North Country - by Edmund Vale. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1937, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. The village of Muker in Upper Swaledale, Yorkshire.
Norfolk - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
North Midland Country - by J.H. Ingram. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1947/8, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Norwich and the Broads - by J. Wentworth Day. The British Cities Series. Believed to have been first published in 1953, format Demy 8vo.
Old English Customs and Ceremonies - by F.J. Drake-Carnell. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1938, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. The Changing of the Guard at the Horse Guards, Whitehall.
Old English Household Life - by Gertrude Jekyll and Sydney R. Jones. The British Heritage Series. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. This revision of Miss Jekyll’s earlier book was first published in 1939, format Demy 8vo.
The Old Inns of England - by A.E. Richardson. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1934, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Based on The Old Bell at Hurley, Berkshire.
The Old Towns of England - by Clive Rouse. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. The market at Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
The Old Public Schools of England - by John Rodgers. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1938, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Eton College: School Yard and Lupton’s Tower.
Oxford - by Christopher Hobhouse. The British Cities Series. First published in 1939, format Demy 8vo.
P - Z
The Parish Churches of England - by The Rev. J.C. Cox and Charles Bradley Ford. The British Heritage Series. First published run 1934, format Demy 8vo. Two cover designs exist for this volume executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté.
Prehistoric England - by Grahame Clark. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Maiden Castle from an aerial photograph.
The Story of the English House - by Hugh Braun. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. Published in 1940. A Georgian house in Canterbury, Kent.
Racing England - by Patrick R. Chalmers. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1937, format Large 8vo.
Richard Norman Shaw - by Sir. Reginald Blomfield. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1940, format Demy 8vo.
The Roumanian Journey -by Sacheverell Sitwell. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Sailing and Cruising (for the small boat owner) - by K. Adlard Coles. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1937, format Demy 8vo.
Salisbury - by R.L.P. Jowitt. The British Cities Series. First published in 1951, format Crown 8vo. Executed in pen-and wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.
Scotland Under Trust - by Robert Hurd. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1939.
Scottish Border Country - by F.R. Banks. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1951, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
The Scottish Islands - by George Scott Moncrieff. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1952.
The Seas and Shores of England - by Edmund Vale. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté.
Shakespeare's Country - by John Russell. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1942, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. This design was the first in the series to be restricted to the front and spine.
Somerset - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
South Eastern Survey - by Richard Wyndham. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1936, format Demy 8vo. Retitled in 1951 South East England. Original painting executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. The Sussex Weald.
The Spirit of India - by W.J. Grant . Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
The Spirit of Ireland - by Lynn Doyle. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1935, format Demy 8vo. Executed in Gouache and printed by Jean Berté.
The Spirit of London - by Paul Cohen-Portheim. The British Heritage Series. First published in 1935, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by Jean Berté. Luydgate Circus and St. Pauls.
The Stones of Scotland - edited by George Scott-Moncrieff. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1938, format Large 8vo.
The Story of the English House - by Hugh Braun. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1940, format Large 8vo.
Stuart and Georgian Churches - by Marcus Whiffen. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in 1947/48, format Demy 8vo.
The Styles of English Architecture - by Arthur Stratton. Other Jackets by Brian Cook. First published in c. 1934, format Demy 8vo. Originally published in two volumes one depicting a medieval church porch and the second St Martin-in-the-Fields, seen through the portico of the National Gallery. The two were republished as a single volume using the National Gallery jacket design.
Such Harmony - by Susan Goodyear. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Suffolk - The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Surrey - by J. Charles Cox, revised by E. F. Peeler. The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Sussex - by Ronald F. Jessup. The Little Guides.
The Three Choirs Cities - by Bryan Little. The British Cities Series. First published in 1953, format Crown 8v0. Executed in pen-and-wash and over printed on Jean Berté.
The Villages of England - by A. K. Wickham. The English Life Series. First published in 1931, format Large 8vo. The first jacket designed by Brian Cook and the first to be reproduced for Batsford by the Jean Berté process. The village of Kersey in Suffolk.
Welsh Border Country - by P. Thoresby Jones. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1938, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography. Ludlow, Shropshire.
Wessex - by Ralph Dutton. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1950, format Demy 8vo. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
West Country - by C. Henry Warren. The Face of Britain Series. First published in 1938, format Demy 8vo. Executed in watercolour. The village of sheepwash, North Devon.
Western Highlands - by Arthur Gardner. Originally published in 1947, format Demy 8vo.
Wiltshire - by Frank. R. Heath. The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
Winkles & Champagne - by M. Willson Disher. Other Jackets by Brian Cook.
Worcestershire - by F.T.S. Houghton, revised by Matley Moore. The Little Guides. Published jointly by Methuen & Co. Ltd. and B.T. Batsford Ltd, c. 1950. Executed in gouache and printed by offset lithography.
York - by John Rodgers. The British Cities Series. First published in 1951, format Crown 8vo. Executed in pen-and-wash and overprinted on Jean Berté.