Taylor, Alfred Edward

Alfred Edward Taylor (1887–1959) was a British illustrator and artist renowned for his intricate and decorative pictorial maps. His career encompassed both book illustration and commercial art, with much of his work featured in advertising campaigns, most notably for Pratt's Motor Oil (later Esso) and Eno's Fruit Salt. Taylor is best remembered for his 1932 series of road maps of the British Isles, created for Pratt's Motor Oil. After Pratt's was acquired by Esso in 1936, these maps were compiled into the volume Pictorial Britain and Ireland. His distinctive style combined vignettes, scrolls, and ornate cartouches merged functionality with artistic beauty. Taylor's maps are now held in institutional collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum.