Life before D&AD

Back in 1963 seventeen graphic designers got together to produce a book. In the introduction it sets out three main points: ‘To demonstrate the effective use of graphic design in commercial and social contexts: to encourage the wider employment of the graphic designers’ particular skills and aptitudes: and to define, if only by implication, attitudes and approaches to graphic design current in England at this time.’ Clearly pithy copywriting was low on the agenda at that point. But the work featured from these young, thrusting twenty and thirty somethings was pretty revolutionary when most graphic designers were still know as, ‘commercial artists’. The book was designed by Derek Birdsall and could only stretch to two colours. But for all that we can see the geneses of British graphics on the pages of this slim volume. All the key names are there: Denis Bailey, Derek Birdsall, George Daulby, George Mayhew, Peter Wildbur, Ian Bradbery, David Collins, Bob Gill, Alan Fletcher, Colin Forbes, Sidney King, Roy Kinneir, Margaret Calvert, Romek Marber, Barry Trengrove and Tom Wolsey. The industry was far smaller and more intimate then. Now we're bursting at the seams. Here are a series of spreads from the book...

 

Comments

[Rachel]

Oh, that's lovely. 2 colours it might be, but they knew what they were doing. Where can I hunt down a copy? I have a yearning to hold it now.

And yes, bursting at the seams is a good way to put it. I can't even imagine what it was like back then with so few in the industry. I bet it was like a little club. That nobody else understood.

[graham peake]

such a shame then that the current D&AD is where it 'is' currently

lovely work

[eve isk for sale]

Oh, that's lovely. 2 colours it might be, but they knew what they were doing. Where can I hunt down a copy? I have a yearning to hold it now.

And yes, bursting at the seams is a good way to put it. I can't even imagine what it was like back then with so few in the industry. I bet it was like a little club. That nobody else understood.

[mike Dempsey]

You'll be very lucky to find a copy. But you could write to Derek Birdsall at Omnific in London. You never know he might have a copy. Good luck.

Mike