Printed linen tea-towel, depicting an illustrated map of the London borough of Chelsea. To the southwest of central London, bordering the Thames, Chelsea was long home to artists and actors and provided a London base for the more ‘bohemian’ families from the upper social classes. With post-war regeneration, the area attracted both young professionals and students, and with its coffee bars, pubs and little boutiques, became a key focus for the vibrant creative scene that came to be celebrated as ‘Swinging London’.

Designed in 1959 by the young illustrator Mardie Madden, the map was first published in Tatler magazine, illustrating an article chronicling the residents and activities of the “liveliest square-mile in town” (Tatler Magazine, 20 May 1959). Department store John Lewis took an interest in the illustration and asked Madden to adapt her design for the purposes of a printed tea-towel. Notable characters depicted include Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Gaskell, Sir Thomas More, and a uniformed Chelsea pensioner and Queen’s guard. Places of interest include Peter Jones, the Essoldo cinema, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, various churches, cafes and restaurants, and the area known as Worlds End, which was emerging as a centre of 1960s London counter-culture.