edward pond 1929 - 2012

Edward, Eddie, Pond was born in 1929 in Hackney but spent his childhood in Romford, Essex.

Over the course of a long and distinguished career, Pond revealed himself to be both talented designer and successful businessman.

At the age of 20, he decided to pursue a career in art and, two years later, was accepted into the South East Essex Technical College and School of Art,

at Dagenham. Although initially interested in painting he was invited to study textile design.

The training in textile design introduced Edward to silk-screen printing and to the problems of repeat-pattern design.

In addition, the discipline also introduced him to many new photo-mechanical techniques.

Edward Pond studied for three years at the Royal College of Art. Upon graduation he received a silver medal for his dissertation.

The training in textile design and printing allowed Pond to develop a highly-sophisticated graphic language that he applied to many different problems.

His first job was for Bernard Wardle, manufacturers of coated fabrics, (Everflex, North Wales).

In his first year, he won the Council of Industrial Design, Design of the Year, Award.

Pond transferred to the parent company Bernard Wardle Fabrics, where he was appointed a director (1962 - 1965).

Here, he commissioned such artists as Natalie Gibson, Janet Taylor, Robert Dodd, Colleen Farr and Elizabeth Tuff.

Subsequently head-hunted by the Wallpaper Manufacturers Association, he set up the Central Studio;

but was more involved with promotional aspects and the training of designers.

He was made a director of Polycell, for whom he set up both Polypops Products and Paperchase.

The Paperchase retail concept addressed the growing demand for art and design products.

Rather like Terence Conran, Pond recognised the emergence of a creative lifestyle that extended more widely than the professional cadre of designers.

In 1976 Edward established his own design consultancy, Edward Pond Associates and he worked for numerous companies

including Boots the Chemist, Ford Motor Company and the National Trust.


For two years, from 1981, he was President of the Chartered Society of Designers

and later Chairman of the Design and Industries Association.

His most recognisable work are the prints he designed for British Rail that were used across Network Southeast trains,

at stations and on promotional material in the early 90s that depicted buildings and places that could be reached on the rail network.

Stylistically, these images are connected to the golden age of railway posters and to the lino-cut designs of Edward Bawden, and the paintings

and graphic work of Kenneth Rowntree. The project made a bridge between the modernist design reform of the mid-20C and the 1980s.

Edward recalls the commission from Jane Priestman, a director of British Rail, to do some railway carriage designs, with only

3 days to complete the presentation and no brief! "Originally the train was the 319, making a new route from Luton to Brighton but the 342,

Waterloo to Bournemouth, muscled in. As a result suddenly there was more work to do and I became, but not officially, Designer to

Network South East. All new trains had designs, old trains were refurbished, waiting rooms had new designs, on top of this there was all

the route branding to do, as well as the venue posters".

Available (below) at £85 each original screenprints by Eddie Pond, produced 1987 - 1989 for SouthEastern Rlwys.

c.35.5"/90cms. x 9.25"/23.5cms. :

Walmer Castle, Kent

Leeds Castle, Kent

Dover Castle, Kent