Philips Electrically Heated Blankets - Philips (c.1950s)
Year: Undated (likely c.1956-1958)
Format: Leaflet
Illustrator: Frederick Henri Kay Henrion (1914-1990)
Client: Philips
Details: This leaflet advertises the Philips electric blanket. The artwork is signed by Henrion, better known as F. H. K. Henrion. Although the leaflet is undated, it is likely from between 1956 and 1958, a period during which Henrion was producing artwork for Philips.
Frederick Henri Kay Henrion (1914-1990) was a German-born graphic designer and illustrator. He moved to Paris at the age of 21 to train in textile design, before moving into graphic design. In the mid-1930s, Henrion worked as an assistant to the French artist Paul Colin. He moved to London in 1936 and settled in the UK permanently in 1939.
As the Second World War started, Henrion was interned for six months because of his German background, despite his Jewish heritage. After his release, he designed for the Ministry of Information and the US Office of War Information. He became a British citizen in 1946.
Henrion was made an MBE in 1951, the same year he established Henrion Design Associates. He produced graphic design and illustrations for clients including British European Airways, the Post Office, London Transport and the Festival of Britain. He was also a pioneer in the field of corporate design.
Alongside his commercial practice, Henrion lectured at the Royal College of Art from 1955 to 1965, becoming head of Visual Communication at the London College of Printing in 1976.
Henrion was an early member of Alliance Graphique Internationale, joining in 1952. He was also a member of the Artists' International Association, the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers, and the Council of Industrial Design. In 1959, he was elected a Royal Designer for Industry, and in 1985 his MBE was elevated to an OBE.