Phillip Boydell
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Phillip Boydell (1896 - 1984) was a British designer and illustrator.
Life and work
[edit]Boydell was born on 21 May 1896 in Tyldesley Lancashire, to Oliver Boydell (a master decorator) and Merinda.[1] He obtained a scholarship at the Manchester School of Art,[2] but his studies were interrupted by conscription in 1914. During his service in the Royal Navy, his vessel the tugboat HMS Blackcock[3] was lost off Murmansk in winter,[4] but Boydell lived to tell the tale,[5] and was able to continue his education at the Royal College of Art.[2]
In 1923 he married sculptor Bertha White.[6]
In 1926 he was offered the position of Art Director at the London Press Exchange,[2] and was on the Board of Directors when he retired in 1961.
Boydell is best known for two posters and a typeface.
- The Squander Bug,[7] a poster encouraging people not to spend money wastefully but invest in savings bonds,[8] was so successful that derivatives were used in several other countries. This he created whilst in bed with influenza[2]
- The Black Widow poster [9][10] for road safety (for which Boydell was art director) which aroused controversy for its (in those days) relatively direct approach.
- The Festival font [11][12] was the official typeface for the 1951 Festival of Britain, and was used in all the communications for the festival.
He died at home in 1984.
References
[edit]- ^ "Family of Oliver BOYDELL and Merinda BEVAN".
- ^ a b c d Gowing, Mary (1957). "The Creative Mind in Advertising". Art and Industry. 62, 63. Studio Publishing: 134..
- ^ Catalogue description Name Boydell, Philip Service Number: Z/1593 RNVR Division: Mersey Date... 1915–1916.
- ^ Catalogue description Loss of Tug BLACKCOCK. 1918-01-28.
- ^ Imperial War Museum Archive 8776/02
- ^ "Excerpt from Family Tree". www.boydell.com. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ Darracott, Joseph; Belinda Loftus (1981). Second World War Posters. London: Imperial War Museum. ISBN 978-0-901627-06-3.
- ^ Bryant, Mark (Aug 1989). World War II in cartoons. New York: Smithmark. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-8317-9658-7.
- ^ "Dr Bex Lewis: Phillip Boydell (b.1896)". Archived from the original on June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Wordpress (December 22, 2009 drbexl): Phillip Boydell (b.1896)". Archived from the original on April 3, 2012.
- ^ "Paratype.com — excellent fonts for your project".
- ^ "'Festival' at Linotype website".