am indebted to Chris Morton, Admissions tutor at The Conservatoire for his research into the work of Harold Nelson who was a tutor at the Blackheath School of Art in the 1920s.


Please go to Chris's blogto see more of his work and history.

Harold Nelson was an established designer and illustrator when he taught at the Blackheath School of Art in the early 1920’s. On page 10 of the 1920 prospectus he is listed as the teacher of Black and White Book Illustration and Decorative Figure Work. The tuition was described as follows –

‘The course of teaching will consist of the treatment of illustration in all its branches in relation to the condition of modern process reproduction, special attention being given to all its methods. Book Illustration will be considered in regard to its place as part of the book and its relation to typography, including also the study of Initial Letters, Borders and Tail-pieces; also Decorative Figure Compositions.’