Tom Eckersley, UK

AGI member since 1952

Back to members

Eckersley studied at Salford School of Art (1930– 34), where he met Eric Lombers. They co-operated in London till the outbreak of the war. They were acknowledged as two of the foremost poster designers in Britain, working for the BBC and the Post Offi ce, Frank Pick of London Transport and Jack Beddington at Shell-Mex and BP. Tom was visiting lecturer at Westminster School of Art (1937–39). During the war he worked as a cartographer for the RAF, also designing many posters for the GPO and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. He was given an OBE, elected RDI in 1963, and awarded the CSD medal in 1990. After 1945 he continued his design practice and his involvement in education. In 1970 he was visiting lecturer at Yale University. In 1958–76 he was head of the design department of the London School of Printing; the Eckersley archive is now held by this college. His work is represented in many museums: the V&A, Imperial War Museum, NY MoMA and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Design work by Tom Eckersley


    Tom Eckersley, UK (1952)

    Tom Eckersley studied at Salford School of Art (1930–34), where he met Eric Lombers. They cooperated in London until the outbreak of the war. They were acknowledged as two of...

    Read full biography
    Tom Eckersley, UK (1952)

    Eckersley studied at Salford School of Art (1930– 34), where he met Eric Lombers. They co-operated in London till the outbreak of the war. They were acknowledged as two of the foremost poster designers in Britain, working for the BBC and the Post Offi ce, Frank Pick of London Transport and Jack Beddington at Shell-Mex and BP. Tom was visiting lecturer at Westminster School of Art (1937–39). During the war he worked as a cartographer for the RAF, also designing many posters for the GPO and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. He was given an OBE, elected RDI in 1963, and awarded the CSD medal in 1990. After 1945 he continued his design practice and his involvement in education. In 1970 he was visiting lecturer at Yale University. In 1958–76 he was head of the design department of the London School of Printing; the Eckersley archive is now held by this college. His work is represented in many museums: the V&A, Imperial War Museum, NY MoMA and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

    Exhibitions

    plus

    5 Decades 1935–75

    1975

    London College of Printing, London

    Retrospective exhibition of Tom Eckersley's work over five decades: from 1935 to 1975

    Posters and other graphic work

    1980

    Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

    Graphic Work 1934–83

    1983

    Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic, Newcastle upon Tyne

    Retrospective exhibition of Tom Eckersley's work from 1934 to 1983

    Fifty years of poster design for London Transport

    1984

    London Transport Museum, London

    Exhibition of graphics

    1985

    Maidstone College of Art, Maidstone

    Past and Present

    1986

    Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee

    50 years of poster design for London Transport including recent work

    Posters

    1986

    Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford

    50 Jahre Graphik aus London von Tom Eckersley & FHK Henrion

    1993

    German Poster Museum (Deutsches Plakat Museum), Essen

    Exhibition about 50 years of graphics from London of Tom Eckersley & FHK Henrion

    Education

    plus

    Teacher

    • Undergraduate

    1937 – 1939

    • Westminster School of Art (UK)

    Teacher

    • Undergraduate

    1954 – 1957

    • London College of Printing (UK)

    Head of Graphic Design

      1957 – 1977

      • London College of Printing (UK)

      Visiting lecturer

        1970 – 1970

        • Yale University (USA)

        Awards

        plus
        • 1948

        Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to poster design