Tom Eckersley - Eckersley As A Lecturer

Eckersley As A Lecturer

Eckersley taught poster design at the Westminster School of Art from 1937 to 1939. In 1954 Eckersley joined the London College of Printing (LCP, now named London College of Communication) in order to teach undergraduates. Here he established the first undergraduate courses in graphic design in Britain. He was Head of Graphic Design at the College from 1957 until 1977. Whilst at the College he designed posters to inform staff and students, for example one reminds students to return overdue library books. Eckersley also continued to complete commissioned work, adding The United Nations Children's Fund, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the National Business Calendar Design Awards and Cooks to his list of clients. Therefore, Eckersley was both a practitioner and a teacher, thus allowing his designs and teaching to remain relevant to changing audiences. Notable graduates who benefitted from Eckersley's tutelage include illustrator Ralph Steadman, advertising's John Hegarty and art pathfinder Charles Saatchi, graphic designers Michael Peters and Howard Milton.