Herbert Spencer

Who was Herbert Spencer?

Herbert Spencer was a British designer, editor, writer, photographer and teacher, born in London on 22 June 1924, and died 11 March 2002.

From 1949 to 1967, Spencer was editor of Typographica, a design journal that he founded. Thirty-two issues of Typographica were published. Spencer also served as editor of The Penrose Annual from 1964 to 1973. From 1969 to 1988, Spencer was Art Director at Lund Humphries.

In the 1950s, Spencer taught typography at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. Spencer was a professor of graphic arts at the Royal College of Art from 1978 until 1985.

Spencer wished to prove that British road signs were chaotic. He therefore photographed road signs and published the results in two photographic essays in Typographica in 1961. As a result the Ministry of Transport set up the Warboys Commission in 1963 to devise a consistent system of signage for British road signs.