By the book

As things stand this morning, this is a bit of a bargain.

Tom Eckersley Poster Design book from eBay

And that’s even with £10 or so of shipping from the U.S, but then it does tend to go for £50 or so on Abebooks or eBay over here.  When you can find it at all.

Although I’ve posted a few of my favourite images from the book before now, I’ve never really gone into much detail about it.

But the seller has photographed it well, and it shows one of my favourite things about Poster Design.

Inside of Eckersley poster design book from eBay

In it, Eckersley isn’t just writing about his own work, he’s generous in his praise of many of the other designers who were working at the same time (on this page Bernard Cheese, Pat Keely, Lewitt-Him and Cassandre as well as Eckersley himself).

And the book is like this throughout.  Here’s another page of his generosity.

inside page from Tom Eckersley poster design

I like to think that this is a reflection of his personality as a whole; people who knew Eckersley say that he was both modest and kind.  It’s good to know that we can still see that for ourselves.

GPO poster Tom Eckersley Cable Canada 1957

While also remembering that he was also rather good at designing too.

[Addendum.  Mr Crownfolio has pointed out that the Herbert Bayer looked rather familiar for something that was just in his portfolio.  So he went and found it.

Chemical Brothers album cover

The artist is Kate Gibb, who doesn’t seem to have been too vocal about her appropriation of Herbert Bayer.  But it has been noticed elsewhere.]

  • This is the book I discovered in my school art library in the 70’s. The best thing about it is the advice he gives. Remember your audience; remember where the poster runs; be creative and distill your thinking down to one big idea. Just like good advertising.

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