Tom Wolsey in 1963
One of the great British (although actually German) editorial art directors, Tom Wolsey (1924–2013), died in New York with little notice earlier this year. Sad because the work he leaves behind is an important part of our graphic history. The magazine that he was instrumental in creating, originally called Man About Town and then refined to About Town and finally to Town, was the stand-out publication of the 1960s. Wolsey used the new young Turks of photography, including Don McCullin, David Bailey and Terence Donovan. The look of the magazine was dynamic in its use of typography, space to breathe and wonderful images, culminating in an enduring design that was to inspire all those that followed.
Town From the early 1960s…
Wolsey was also responsible for the design and art direction of the advertisements for Mary Quant’s cosmetic range…
Tom Wolsey was born in Aachen, Germany in 1924. He moved to Britain in 1936 where he started his design career. He was an art director of Crawfords Advertising Agency 1948-61. Then became executive director of Cornmarket Press where he was the art director of Town magazine. He briefly set up his own agency producing ads for many clients. Later he moved permanently to New York where he died at home on 29th April this year.
For more on Tom Wolsey click here.