Designer: Herbert Spencer

Herbert Spencer - British Graphic Designer

Herbert Spencer was a professional designer and Senior Research Fellow at the Royal College of Art in London, where he headed a study group engaged in research into the legibility of print. Spencer edited and authored books on typography and graphic design. He also founded the magazine  Typographica, which he edited until 1967. He was editor of the Penrose Annual from 1964 to 1973, and president of the AGI from 1971 to 1974.

Explore related designers including Anthony Froshaug and Ken Garland. See also Typographica, British Modernism, and 1950s graphic design history.

Articles Featuring the Work of Herbert Spencer

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As a champion of graphic design history, I was thrilled to find the upcoming book "Penrose 1964-73: The Herbert Spencer Years," a captivating visual anthology dedicated to honouring Spencer's legacy as a trailblazer in modern typography. Spanning 288 pages, this book commemorates Spencer's influential editorship at the Penrose Annual from 1964 to 1973.

Artefacts Featuring the Work of Herbert Spencer

Typographica, Old Series 08, 1953

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 08, 1953

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1953
Typographica, Old Series 01, 1949

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 01, 1949

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1949
Typographica, Old Series 16, 1959

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 16, 1959

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1959
Typographica, Old Series 05, 1952

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 05, 1952

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1952
Typographica, Old Series 03, 1951

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 03, 1951

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1951
Typographica, Old Series 13, 1957

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 13, 1957

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1957
Typographica, Old Series 10, 1955

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 10, 1955

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1955
Typographica, Old Series 12, 1956

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 12, 1956

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1956
Typographica, Old Series 04, 1951

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 04, 1951

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1951
Typographica, Old Series 11, 1955

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 11, 1955

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1955
Typographica, Old Series 06, 1952

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 06, 1952

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1952
Typographica, Old Series 14, 1958

From the graphic design archive:

Typographica, Old Series 14, 1958

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Herbert Spencer
  • Year: 1958

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Walter Frank Bomar, scanned from The Inland Printer, Vol 104, No. 03, 1939

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Walter Frank Bomar, scanned from The Inland Printer, Vol 104, No. 03, 1939

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Valentin Zietara, by H K Frenzel translated by E. T. Scheffauer

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Valentin Zietara, by H K Frenzel translated by E. T. Scheffauer

An article on Valentin Zietara , originally in German, published in Gebrauchsgraphik, 10, 1930, written by H K Frenzel translated by E. T. Scheffauer

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