Reddick, Peter, b 1924

Peter Reddick was born in Upminster, Essex, in 1924. Both his parents were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and he too joined the Society at 16. He registered as a conscientious objector in 1942 and spent the War doing land work. He trained at: South East Essex Technical College and School of Art 1941-1942; Guildford School of Art 1946-1947; Cardiff School of Art 1947-1948; Slade School of Fine Art, London 1948-1951; London College of Printing 1959 - 1960. Between 1963 and 1967 he was a Lecturer at Glasgow School of Art and then held the post of Senior Lecturer at Bristol Polytechnic between 1967 and 1989.

He has described his influences as a student as being the English Romantic engravers and the work of Blair Hughes Stanton, Gertrude Hermes, Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious and his early work as being romantic ruralist .

On leaving college he sought employment as a book illustrator but was unable to make a living. The work he did find was teaching lithography, lettering, calligraphy and, later, typography at Regent Street Polytechnic, London (1951-1957). Also, commissions for brush-drawn lettered book jacket from Jonathan Cape, London, and freelance and studio based design work. In 1958 Peter Reddick caught Poliomyelitis (Polio) which dictated that he concentrate on work as a typographer and designer.

In 1960 Peter Reddick and his wife and their three children left England for Kumasi in Ghana where Peter Reddick took up a post as Lecturer in Commercial Design at Kumasi College of Science and Technology. Whilst in Ghana, Reddick made some wood engravings of Ghanaian scenery and characters that appeared in the journal Motif, no. 7, Summer, 1961. He was also commissioned to design covers for number of Penguin Book editions of the novels of Daphne du Maurier.

In 1962 Peter Reddick returned to England and from 1963 to 1967 he taught design at the Glasgow School of Art. From 1967until 1989 he taught illustration in the Department of Graphic Design at the West of England College of Art (later Bristol Polytechnic).

During his period as a teacher Peter Reddick has also illustrated books for the Folio Society (particularly the work of Thomas Hardy and Anthony Trollope), Gregynog Press, Limited Editions Club, New York, Readers Digest amongst other publishers. He also makes water-colours and coloured woodcuts.

Peter Reddick was a founder member of Bristol Artspace and is Chairman of the Spike Island Printmakers workshop, Bristol. He exhibits with the Royal West of England Academy and the Society of Wood Engravers. He was made Gregynog Arts Fellow between 1979 and 1980.

From the guide to the Peter Reddick Archive, 1950-2000, (Manchester Metropolitan University, Sir Kenneth Green Library)