Thomas William Chantrell (1916-2001) was one of the premier cinema-poster artists of the twentieth century. Without formal training but with a facility for commercial design, he worked as an illustrator for Bateman Artists. In the late 1940s the firm was acquired by the major advertising agent Allardyce Palmer. Chantrell increasingly worked on film accounts and when Allardyce Palmer set up an Entertainments Publicity Division in 1957, Chantrell was its Art Director. In 1965, Allardyce Palmer took on the advertising for Hammer Films. Between 1965 and 1969, Chantrell produced all Hammer’s posters and effectively became their house designer. As well as creating posters for completed Hammer films, his compelling artwork was used to secure funding for speculative titles.