George Him
31 January – 10 May 2020
Exhibited at the House of Illustration
The first ever retrospective of the Polish-Jewish émigré who brought European modernist aesthetics to British graphic design.
Spanning George Him’s long and versatile career as both an independent designer and as one half of the prolific Lewitt-Him partnership (1933-1954), the exhibition included iconic wartime propaganda posters for the Ministries of Food and Information, corporate branding for El Al airlines and adverts for clients like Schweppes, Technicolor, the Post Office and The Times.
Him’s distinctive blend of hard modernist lines and empathetic humour marked his varied output, from reportage and book illustration to his era-defining branding and advertising. The exhibition showcased previously unseen working sketches, original artwork and ephemera alongside Him’s most celebrated work, revealing one of the most important graphic artists of the 20th century.
This exhibition was part of Insiders/Outsiders, a nationwide arts festival to celebrate refugees from Nazi Europe and their contribution to British culture.
The exhibition was generously supported by the Jeremy and John Sacher Charitable Trust, the John S Cohen Foundation, the Shoresh Charitable Trust and the Atkin Foundation.
Visitors at the George Him: A Polish Designer for Mid-Century Britain exhibition at House of Illustration.
Installation view of George Him: A Polish Designer for Mid-Century Britain at House of Illustration.
Bottle labels for Schweppes, 1960.
Point-of-sale display for Schweppes, 1957.
Illustration for Lokomotywa by Julian Tuwim, 1938 © Lewitt-Him, The Estates of George Him and Jan Le Witt
George Him painting 'Soking Old Place' for 'The Stately Homes of Schweppeshire', 1957.
All artworks © George Him, courtesy of the Estate of George Him, unless otherwise specified
All photographs © Paul Grover