Angela Reeves Collection, 1960s-2008 | University of Northampton Archive

By Phil Oakman, Maggie Peach, Lucy Culverhouse

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Collection Overview

Title: Angela Reeves Collection, 1960s-2008

Predominant Dates:1970s - 1990s

ID: AR/01/Gra

Primary Creator: Reeves, Angela

Extent: 0.0

Date Acquired: 10/06/0009. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Angela Reeves, Design, Graphics, Reeves, Angela, The University of Northampton Angela Reeves Collection

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This series of design ephemera and memorabilia was collected by Angela Reeves, 1942-2008 and kindly donated by her family.

The collection contains works designed by Angela as well as ephemera and memorabilia relating to all aspects of graphic design collected by her.

Early drawings and sketches by Angela date back to her school and college days. A number of the drawings that she produced indicate that they were submitted as part of a portfolio for entrance to the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts.

Later designs reflect both her freelance work and that carried out while employed by companies such as British European Airways, the BBC, Royal Mail, New York University, Chermayeff and Geismar, Ilford and the Torin Corporation. Many publications relating to the industry were collected and retained by Angela over her life time and form part of this collection. These include pamphlets, booklets, annual reviews and promotional material published by Newell and Sorrel (Utopian Papers), Pentagram Design and the Wynkyn de Worde Society.

Also forming part of the collection are news stories, memorabilia and ephemera that relate to people and events that featured in Angela's life. The people include Marcel Breuer, Claes Oldenberg and F.H.K. Henrion while the events include the 1975 American bicentenial exhibition at the British Museum and the 1968 Mexican Olympics.

Collection Historical Note

Angela had a solid career in corporate graphic design and she kept pretty much everything from her career - from all her exercises at Foundation at Chelsea College , through most of her work at the London College of Printing in the early 60's. She then went straight into working for BEA and other corporate organisations, was self employed for some time, was president of the Design Research Unit, worked with Chermayeff and Geismar in New York 68 - 72; ran the BBC Educational books design section; worked for Royal Mail in stamp commissioning through the 80's and early 90's and then went back to New York to work on the design standards of the Smithsonian Museums again for Chermayeff and Geismar. She also worked a lot at Exeter and Brighton supporting design student portfolios.

Biographical note created by family member.

Subject/Index Terms

Angela Reeves
Design
Graphics
Reeves, Angela
The University of Northampton Angela Reeves Collection

Administrative Information

Repository: University of Northampton Archive

Accruals: We do not expect that there will be major accruals to this collection but the University would welcome the chance to discuss any further potential donations of records relating to Angela Reeves or graphics and design more generally.

Access Restrictions: All items are accessible

Use Restrictions:

Normal copyright restrictions apply

The University of Northampton takes copyright seriously and only makes content available in its Archive Catalogue in accordance with current UK legislation.

All reasonable effort is made by The University of Northampton to obtain copyright holders’ consent before publishing the images represented in our Archive Catalogue. We would like to ask that any copyright owners who are not properly identified in our Archive Collections contact us so that we may make the necessary corrections or removals.

Acquisition Source: Kindly donated and supported by Camilla Hale and Professor Adam Reeves.

Acquisition Method: Donation.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Folder containing drawings, sketches and designs, 1950s-1960s],
[Box 2: Folder containing drawings, sketches and designs, 1960s],
[Box 3: Folder containing drafts of work, 1960s],
[Box 4: Folder containing drawings, sketches and designs, 1960s],
[Box 5: Box containing Angela's artistic tools and ephemera, 1961-2000],
[Box 6: Box containing Pentagram publications and examples of typefaces., 1970-1998],
[Box 7: Box containing different publications on the subject of typography, 1957-1991],
[Box 8: Box containing a mix of publications relating to design - graphic and fashion., 1971-1998],
[Box 9: Box containing publications relating to work by various designers, 1945-1996],
[Box 10: Box containing publications and ephemera relating various companies and Angela Reeves, 1956 - 2009],
[Box 11: Box containing material relating to Claes Oldenburg, 1969-1970],
[Box 12: Box containing Angela's Curriculum Vitae and certificates, 1976-2006],
[Box 13: A tied cardboard folder holding items relating to the Touch Exhibition, September 1999],
[Box 14: Box containing letters, drawings and examples of work, 1960s-2006],
[Box 15: Box containing 4 books, 1961-1982],
[Box 16: Box containing various items relating to company policies, and some designs by Angela and others., 1997-1999],
[Box 17: Box containing two companies' design guidelines, 1965-1986],
[Box 18: Box containing ephemera from graphic design companies, 1964-2004],
[Box 19: Box containing annual reports, design guidelines and other graphic design ephemera, 1972-1999],
[Box 20: Box containing ephemera from companies that specialise in engraving and paper production and ephemera from events, 1964 - 1999],
[Box 21: Portfolio containing examples of Angela's work, 1962-1996],
[Box 22: Box containing memorabilia relating FHK Henrion and profiles of designers, 1987-1991],
[Box 23: Box containing a mixture of publications relating to many aspects of design, 1964-2004],
[Box 24: Slides, 1996],
[Box 25: Slides, [1996]],
[Box 26: Slides and other ephemera, [1984-]],
[Box 27: Box containing exhibition catalogues, ephemera from the Mexican Olympics, some articles and ephemera, 1968-1975],
[Box 28: Box containing items relating to design research and guidelines, 1967-[1974]],
[Box 29: Box containing booklets that relate to a broad range of design topics and several booklets unrelated to design., 1967-1984],
[Box 30: Box containing New York University Publications, 1969-1973],
[Box 31: Box containing New York University Publications, 1969-1971],
[Box 32: Box containing examples of Angela's work and other ephemera, 1920-1962],
[Box 33: Box containing exhibition catalogues and photographs, annual reports and design guidelines, 1970-1973],
[Box 34: Box containing company publications that Angela designed, 1971-1979],
[Box 35: Box containing examples of Angela's work, 1962-1996],
[Box 36: Box containing a red folder holding design work by Angela, personal and professional correspondence and other ephemera, 1981 - 2008],
[Box 37: Box containing Angela's sketch books, stamps and framed pictures, 1959-1993],
[Box 38: Portfolio containing examples of Angela's work, 1965-1983],
[Box 39: Folder containing certificates, diplomas and a poster, 1964-1991],
[Box 40: Envelope entitled Graphics Collection, 1984],
[Box 41: Tube containing 18 Torin Exhibition drawings, 1974-1979],
[[information restricted]],
[Box 43: Box containing three folders of typefaces, 1973],
[Box 44: Box containing the Smithsonian Design Guidelines, 1998],
[Box 45: Two paintings, 1967],
[All]

Box 4: Folder containing drawings, sketches and designs, 1960s

A folder, made from a large sheet of black card, containing examples of Angela's work including examination entries and her draft design of a poster for the London Underground. The folder is homemade and was originally contained within the green art folder numbered AR/01/Gra/002

Condition: Good

Location: M3 - a (Archive racking)

Related to: AR/01/Gra/002 and AR/01/Gra/003

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004

Item 1: Poster design - Time map for the London Underground, [1960s]

Nine pieces of paper relating to the design of a time map poster for the London underground network. The finished map is to be five foot six inches by four foot six inches in size excluding any margins. An official map of the underground has been used as a starting point for the poster and has been annotated using a black pen. Small sheets of tracing paper have pencilled lines and appear to be rough drafts for the project. A further small sheet of tracing paper complete with the underground logo, key and directions for use seems to be a rough plan for the finished work. Two larger sheets of tracing paper depict a close up of a small area of the map showing the finer detail with the use of colour. The final larger sheet of tracing paper has a coloured line drawing, scaled up from the official map, of the underground routes. A scrap of paper accompanying the drawings contains hand written notes, in black ink, which detail how the time map is to be used.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/

Item 2: Book design - Pioneers of Modern Design, [1960s]

Eleven sheets of poster sized tracing paper stapled together. The sheets contain the design for the lay out of chapter 4, Art Nouveau, in a book entitled ‘Pioneers of Modern Design, by Nikolaus Pevsner. Details are also drawn for the title page, contents page, and list of plates. All of the pages are drawn using pencil with detailed notes relating to the typography contained in the margins of the first five sheets.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/2

Item 3: Examination booklet, 1964

An examination booklet headed with the words ‘Ministry of Education: the examination for the National Diploma in Design, 1964, Special Subjects’. Page 29 which contains the questions for the typography examination has pencilled annotations on the page.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/3

Item 4: Examination or test instructions, [1960s]

A piece of paper printed with detailed instructions for completing an examination or test project. The project is to design a paper sample to show a six colour range of cover paper.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/4

Item 5: Application for Renewal of a Motor Vehicle Licence, 1961

An example of work, by Angela Reeves, that was entered into a Royal Society of Arts Industrial Art Bursaries Competition. In the top right hand corner is the reference number RF 1A below which are the words ‘Revised April 1961’. The piece of work was entered into the Typography Section of the competition and Angela was twenty-one at the time. Mounted on a piece of thick brown paper the work is a design for an Application for Renewal of a Motor Vehicle Licence. On one side of the paper is the design for the form and on the other side are two sheets of tracing paper providing the typographic details.

Condition: One sheet of paper detached from its' mounting

Related to: AR/01/Gra/002/1, AR/01/Gra/002/9, AR/01/Gra/035/39, AR/01/Gra/035/40 and AR/01/Gra/035/41

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/5

Item 6: The London Teacher and schools review, 1962

A sheet of tracing paper containing the drawing for the front cover of a journal entitled ‘The London Teacher and schools review’. The drawing is in pencil and is for the Volume 80, Number 1301, November 1962 issue. Instructions for the typographic details are written in the margins and the name ‘Angela Reeves’ is pencilled in the top right hand corner of the work.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/6

Item 7: London College of Printing - list of annual awards, 1962

Three sheets of tracing paper containing drawings for the design of the booklet and an acceptance card for the London College of Printing annual awards 1962/3 session. The drawings are mainly in pencil and show designs for the front cover of the booklet and the pages listing External Awards along with the postcard for acceptance of an invitation to attend the ceremony. A blue pencil has been used for the name of the college on the cover, the page headings and types of awards on the External Awards pages and for the instructions on the acceptance card. Details for the typographic arrangement of the work are written in pencil in the margins around the drawings.

Related to: AR/01/Gra/021/23, AR/01/Gra/021/24, AR/01/Gra/035/4 and

AR/01/Gra/035/37

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/7

Item 8: Mosaic effect tree design, [1960s]

Three, oblong shaped, sheets of thick white paper with the same design, of a tree against a background, stamped onto them using small painted squares in different colours and shades. The same design and mosaic effect was used for the Fisons 1964 calendar.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/002/2

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/8

Item 9: Black and grey squares, [1960s]

Two A4 sized sheets of white paper containing designs made out of black and grey square shapes. The shapes have been cut out of paper, painted and stuck on to the white background, in most cases overlapping each other. Some of the shapes have a smaller square, or oblong, cut out of them which in some instances have been stuck on to one of the other squares. The name Angela Reeves is written in pencil on the reverse of each piece of work.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/10 and AR/01/Gra/004/11

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/9

Item 10: Grey and white squares, [1960s]

Two A4 sized sheets of black painted paper containing designs made out of grey and white square shapes. The shapes have been cut out of paper, painted and stuck on to the black background, in most cases overlapping each other. Some of the shapes have a smaller square, or oblong, cut out of them which in some instances have been stuck on to one of the other squares. The name Angela Reeves is written in pencil on the reverse of each piece of work.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/9 and AR/01/Gra/004/11

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/10

Item 11: Black and white squares, [1960s]

Two A4 sized sheets of grey painted paper containing designs made out of black and white square shapes. The shapes have been cut out of paper, painted and stuck on to the grey background, in most cases overlapping each other. Some of the shapes have a smaller square, or oblong, cut out of them which in some instances have been stuck on to one of the other squares. The name Angela Reeves is written in pencil on the reverse of each piece of work.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/9 and AR/01/Gra/004/10

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/11

Item 12: Green circles, [1960s]

A sheet of white paper with a design made up of green circles painted on to it. An outline of a large circle has seven smaller circles, arranged in two rows, painted across it. The name ‘Angela Reeves’ is written in pencil on the reverse of the design.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/13, AR/01/Gra/004/14 and AR/01/Gra/004/15

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/12

Item 13: Black circles, [1960s]

A sheet of white paper with a design made up of black circles painted on to it. Eight circles, arranged in two rows, are painted across the paper. Seven of the circles are painted black and one, which has been cut from piece of thin card and stuck in place, is painted green. The name ‘Angela Reeves’ is written in pencil on the reverse of the design.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/12, AR/01/Gra/004/14 and AR/01/Gra/004/15

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/13

Item 14: White circles, [1960s]

A sheet of black paper with a design made up of white circles painted on to it. Eight circles, arranged in two rows, are painted across the paper. Seven of the circles are of equal size and one is a lot smaller. The name ‘Angela Reeves’ is written in pencil on the reverse of the design.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/12, AR/01/Gra/004/13 and AR/01/Gra/004/15

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/14

Item 15: White circles, [1960s]

A sheet of black paper with a design made up of white circles painted on to it. Seven circles, arranged in two rows, are painted across the paper. An eighth circle is painted above the two rows towards the top left hand corner of the page. The name ‘Angela Reeves’ is written in pencil on the reverse of the design.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/12, AR/01/Gra/004/13 and AR/01/Gra/004/14

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/15

Item 16: Office stationery - George Berridge and Co. Ltd., [1960s]

Five sheets of tracing paper originally pinned together and containing designs of office stationery for a company named ‘George Berridge and Co. Ltd.’ The designs are all drawn in pencil and include an invoice, a letter head, a business card and a compliments slip. Typographic details for the designs are written in the margins around the drawings.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/16

Item 17: Black and white squares, [1960s]

Five sheets of paper each containing a design made up using either black squares on a white background, or white squares on a black background. All of the squares used are of equal size and have been cut out of paper and stuck on to the backgrounds. The name Angela Reeves is written in pencil on the reverse of four of the designs.

Condition: One black square has come unstuck

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/17

Item 18: Black L shapes, [1960s]

A sheet of white paper containing a design using cut out black L shaped pieces of paper. The L shapes have been stuck on to the white background in three rows to form the pattern for the work. ‘Angela Reeves’ is hand written in pencil on the reverse of the design.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/18

Item 19: Squares using shades of blue, [1960s]

An A4 sheet of black paper with a design made out of squares stuck on to it. The squares are individually painted using mainly shades of blue, with some grey, green and purple. They form five rows each containing four squares which each measure approximately two inches square.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/20

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/19

Item 20: Squares using shades of brown, [1960s]

An A4 sheet of black paper with a design made out of squares stuck on to it. The squares are individually painted using shades of brown and form five rows each containing four squares which each measure approximately two inches square.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/19

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/20

Item 21: Brick work design, [1960s]

An A4 sheet of white paper with a design made out of oblong shapes reminiscent of bricks stuck on to it. The squares are individually painted using shades of brown, purple and orange and completely cover the paper.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/21

Item 22: Photograph - taken outside a railway station, [1960s]

A photograph, in black and white, that was taken from the outside platform of a railway station. The picture shows the track curving away from the platform and entering a tunnel with a row of houses sitting at the top of the embankment across the track.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/23, AR/01/Gra/004/24 and AR/01/Gra/004/25

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/22

Item 23: Photograph - steam train entering a station, [1960s]

A photograph, in black and white, that was taken from the inside platform of a railway station. The picture shows the front of the steam engine which has the number 6992 above AO3 written on it. Smoke from the engine is billowing up towards the high vaulted ceiling of the station.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/22, AR/02/Gra/004/24 and AR/01/Gra/004/25

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/23

Item 24: Photograph - taken inside a railway station, [1960s]

A photograph, in black and white, that was taken from the inside of a railway station, looking along platform one. The picture shows a steam train standing between platforms one and two with lots of people milling about in the foreground. Piles of sacks are standing on the platform waiting to be moved.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/22, AR/02/Gra/004/23 and AR/01/Gra/004/25

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/24

Item 25: Photograph - taken inside a railway station, [1960s]

A photograph, in black and white, that was taken from the inside of a railway station, looking down on platforms four, five and six. The picture shows a diesel train arriving on platform four and one leaving from platform six. A steam train at platform five is billowing smoke up towards the high arched ceiling of the station.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/22, AR/01/Gra/004/23 and AR/01/Gra/004/24

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/25

Item 26: Paxton and Whitfield, [1960s]

A half finished pencil drawing depicting a butcher’s shop front. The name of the shop is Paxton and Whitfield and the number 93 appears at either end of the name which runs across the full width of the shop front. A dark green and a yellow pen have been used to add colour to the drawing around the window and door frames.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/26

Item 27: James Smith and Sons - painting of shopfront, [1960s]

A painting of a shop called James Smith and Sons that was established in 1830. The shop is part of a building called Hazelwood House and has two large windows either side of the doorway. One of the windows is filled with gentlemen's umbrellas and the other has ladies' umbrellas on display.

The shop is located in London and is still in business today. Its' web pages can be found at: http://www.james-smith.co.uk

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/28

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/27

Item 28: James Smith and Sons, [1960s]

An unfinished earlier draft of the painting of a shop called James Smith and Sons. The picture has been painted on to a torn off piece of wallpaper and the colours used give it a much more gloomy feel than the later finished work.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/27

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/28

Item 29: Office Stationery, [1960s]

Two sets of office stationery comprising of headed letter paper, business cards and appointment cards. One set is for a dental surgeon and the other is for an optician. A sheet of tracing paper containing the drawings for the business and appointment cards is folded around the finished articles.

Condition: Good

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/29

Item 30: Design department examination paper, [1960s]

A Design Department examination paper containing three questions it of which only one has to be answered. The second question, which is to design a change of address card for a company called Hille Limited, and the third question, to design an invitation card for the Southern Region of the British Railways, both have pencil markings around the text to be used in each case.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/31

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/30

Item 31: Hille Limited - change of address card, [1960s]

A change of address card for a company called Hille Limited. The card has been created using black and white lettering on transparent paper and fulfils all the requirements as laid out in question two of the Design Department examination paper.

Condition: Good

Related to: AR/01/Gra/004/30

Unique Identifier: AR/01/Gra/004/31