Chippenham Museum, Lady Chatterley’s Cover: The Book Designs of Stephen Russ

11th February 2026 / News archive

Lady Chatterley’s Cover: The Book Designs of Stephen Russ
7 March – 30 May, Chippenham Museum

The post-war book designs of artist and teacher, Stephen Russ, will be celebrated in Chippenham Museum’s latest exhibition.

From the forties to the seventies, Stephen Russ produced dozens of dust jacket designs, from standout jackets for Graham Greene first editions at Bodley Head to showcasing his versatility at Collins with designs ranging from nature books to the famous Collins Crime Club.

It is for his work for Penguin that he is perhaps best known, designing covers for the main orange series, the lesser-known music scores and the highly collectible Penguin Poets series. The phoenix motif he designed for DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, would become famous during the 1960 obscenity trial, appearing prominently in the subsequent marketing of the book that led to it becoming a best seller.

As well as this largely overlooked contribution Russ made to post-war design, the exhibition will look at his thirty-year career as a tutor at the famous Bath Academy of Art in Corsham. The exhibition is being brought to life at Chippenham Museum with the generous support of the Russ family alongside loans from the Penguin Archive and University of Bristol.

Melissa Barnett, Head of Museum and Heritage, said:

“People across the country probably have examples of Russ’s work on their bookshelves without even realising it. We want people to celebrate and rediscover the overlooked work of this talented designer and artist.”

Chippenham Museum, Lady Chatterley’s Cover: The Book Designs of Stephen Russ

Lady Chatterley’s Cover: The Book Designs of Stephen Russ 7 March – 30 May, Chippenham Museum

Chippenham Town Council

Lady Chatterley’s Cover: The Book Designs of Stephen Russ
7 March – 30 May, Chippenham Museum