Tom Purvis was born in Bristol and studied at Camberwell School of Art. He spent six years with the advertising firm Mather and Crowther, and before working freelance whilst studying lithography at the Avenue Press. He had a unique gift for solving complicated visual problems by producing a simple design in sharp bright colours and basic shapes. Purvis worked for the LNER (London and North East Railway) from 1923-43 and his most accomplished work for them comprised six posters collectively titled East Coast Joys detailing the various pastimes that could be enjoyed at the seaside without referring to any particular locality or town. The posters formed a continuous scene when shown together. His pared down designs for the men’s tailor, Austin Reed, and Canadian Pacific shipping line caught the glamour and elegance of the 1930s.

He was one of the first eleven Royal Designers for Industry in 1936. During the Second World War he was commissioned as a war artist by the Ministry of Supply and for companies such as Pilkington Glass and Rolls Royce. After the war he abandoned poster design to paint portraits and, in his last years, religious pictures. He died on 27 August 1957.

Glossary

  • Design

    The arrangement of elements or details in an artefact or a work of art.

  • Lithography

    Lithography means, literally, stone drawing. In addition to fine grain lithographic stones, metal plates can also be used for lithography. The method relies on the fact that grease repels water. An image is drawn in a greasy medium onto the stone or plate, which is then dampened with water. Greasy printing ink rolled onto that surface will adhere to the design but be repelled by the damp area. The inked image is transferred to the paper via a press. For large editions, the grease is chemically fixed to the stone, and gum arabic, which repels any further grease marks but does not repel water, is applied to the rest of the surface. For colour lithography the artist uses a separate stone or plate for each colour required.