Tom Eckersley; poster design

About

Eckersley is one of the foremost poster designers and graphic designers of the twentieth century. His works employ minimal text, instead transmitting their message by pared-down graphic elements and bold blocks of colour. Eckersley worked for London Transport, Gillette, Guinness and, during the Second World War, the Ministry of Information and the General Post Office. Eckersley was also a teacher of poster design and established the first graphic design course in the United Kingdom at what was then called the London College of Printing. This famous institution is now called London College of Communication, and is part of University of the Arts London. It is from the University Archives and Special Collections Centre that Mascalls Gallery presents this exhibition of Eckersley's later work. The charm in many of Eckersley's posters is their ability to convey a strong message through a simple design. In this exhibition, this is shown in designs for charities such as World Wide Fund for Nature, Oxfam and UNICEF as well as stunning posters for the college's own requirements, including asking students to return library books, inviting staff to the annual dinner and social evening and giving the location of first aid boxes!