{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O242751"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O242751/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O242751","accessionNumber":"E.2717-2007","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Posters Tom Eckersley","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is the work of celebrated English poster artist Tom Eckersley (1914 - 1997). It was designed and printed in 1986 to advertise an exhibition of his works. Eckersley's design of a harlequin, suggested very simply through shapes and block colours, perfectly captures his own playful approach to poster art. \r\n\r\nAll of Eckersley's posters demonstrate his ability to convey a simple, direct message through economical and effective design. His style is instantly recognisable - unlike other contemporary poster designers who introduced photography, airbrush, perspective and depth to their works, Eckersley favoured bold, flat areas of colour, reducing figures and objects to flat geometrical shapes. As he explains in his book 'Poster Design' (1954):\r\n\r\n\"The good designer can achieve far more with two colours than the poor one with twelve, since it is not the number of colours you use but the way in which you employ them which governs the result.\"\r\n\r\nHe was inspired by the striking, often abstract images by poster designers A.M. Cassandre and Edward Mcknight Kauffer.\r\n\r\nAfter graduating from Salford Art School, Eckersley moved to London in 1934 to become a freelance poster designer. He collaborated with Eric Lombers on a number of commissions for London Transport, Shell and the BBC.  During the Second World War, Eckersley worked independently for public service agencies including the Ministry of Information and the General Post Office. \r\n\r\nIn 1957 he became Head of the Design Department at the London College of Printing for twenty years. He then took early retirement in order to pursue his own work full-time. As well as producing posters for the World Wildlife Fund, Eckersley also designed works for the National Business Calendar, the Imperial War Museum and a set of film star posters. One of his most popular designs, a Concorde platform panel at Heathrow underground station, is also in the V&A collection. \r\n\r\nThroughout his career, Eckersley focused his attention on posters and is considered the last full-time English poster designer. This poster was bequeathed by Phillip Granville.","physicalDescription":"Simple and graphic illustration of a Harlequin's head.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Eckersley, Tom","id":"A13292"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Colour offset lithograph.","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLC (VA)","id":"THES49171"},"free":"","case":"MB2F","shelf":"DR58","box":"GRANVILLE"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"poster","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"designed and printed","id":"x37573"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1986","earliest":"1986-01-01","latest":"1986-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed and printed","id":"x37573"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Accepted by H M Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2007","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"84","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"59.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"POSTERS TOM ECKERSLEY","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Main text, printed in brown, blue and red. Top centre."},{"content":"13-28 February 1986 Design Department Oxford Polytechnic","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed in black, top centre."},{"content":"ECKERSLEY 86","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Artist's signature, bottom right."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tom Eckersley; 'Posters Tom Eckersley'; Britain 1986","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"harlequin","id":"x34135"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.2717-2007"],"accessionNumberNum":"2717","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2007,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-08","availableToBook":false}}