Leslie James Gardner

Place: Hendon

Born: 1907

Death: 1995

Biography:

James Gardner, also known as Leslie James Gardner, was a British designer and graphic artist born in Hendon, United Kingdom in 1907. He was educated at Westminster School of Art and began his career as an apprentice for Cartier jewellers in 1923. After traveling internationally in the 1930s, he returned to London and began working for the commercial design consultancy, Carlton Studios. During World War II, Gardner was drafted into the Camouflage Training School at Farnham and designed a series of inflatable deception projects. He also worked for the Ministry of Information as an illustrator and designed three non-fiction children's books for Puffin Picture Books. Following the war, Gardner became one of Britain's most important post-war exhibition and museum designers, contributing to the Britain Can Make It exhibition of industrial and product design in 1946 and the Festival of Britain in 1951. He was awarded the title of Royal Designer for Industry in 1955. Gardner passed away in 1995.