Tile Mosaic Map (Emett Mosaic)

Tile Mosaic Map, a mosaic mural designed by Rowland Emett and painted by Phyllis Butler of Carter Tiles Ltd, installed in 1960 on the south elevation of the Marlowes tiered car park in Hemel Hempstead.

MATERIALS: the mosaic is constructed of small grey, red and blue tesserae, surrounding panels of painted white tiles.

DESCRIPTION: the rectangular mural measures approximately 5m in height and 12m in width, and presents a semi-abstract pictorial map of Hemel Hempstead and its surrounding towns and villages (clockwise from top right: Ayot St Lawrence, St Albans, Hatfield, Bovingdon, Berkhamsted, Whipsnade and Dunstable). Each town name is illustrated with a hand-painted caricature on an irregular-shaped white-tiled panel, each linked by roads and rivers (formed of red and blue tesserae) and surrounded by a background of grey tesserae. Below the Hemel Hempstead panel, a panel depicts a railway locomotive and carriages heading south-east to Euston. In each of the four corners are panels representing historic modes of transport (clockwise from top-right: a train, space rocket, car and horse-drawn carriage). The surname of the artist ‘EMETT’ appears in mosaic in the bottom-left corner. The mosaic mural is prominently sited at the west end of the south elevation of the Marlowes tiered car park, at the corner of Marlowes and Hillfield Road.