Exploring Heath Robinson as a 'consummate ad man'

A new book celebrates Robinson’s advertising work for the first time, Heath Robinson in Advertising, accompanied by an exhibition of the same name at the Heath Robinson Museum in north-west London.

These explore the beautiful work Robinson created for all kinds of products ranging from asbestos cement roofing to bread, for nearly 100 clients including major corporations such as Johnnie Walker and Hovis, and further demonstrates the importance and legacy of his wild ideas and images to Britain’s cultural past and present. The book also includes a complete list of Robinson’s advertising clients and the work he undertook for them.

“In the early 20th century, Heath Robinson was one of the pioneering artists who rewrote the rules on how we communicate commercially –replacing the traditional copy-dominated style with a focus on imagery to tell stories,” says the museum.

Heath Robinson in Advertising will be on display at the Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner, north-west London, until 18 February 2018. The accompanying book is available now published by Lund Humphries priced £40.