Discover the wonderful pictorial maps and graphic designs of MacDonald ‘Max’ Gill, one of the best-known commercial artists of the early 20th century, who created such memorable and contrasting works as the ‘Highways of Empire’ map and the Imperial (later Commonwealth) War Graves lettering.
Unlike his brother, the sculptor Eric Gill, Max and his work have been sadly neglected since his death in 1947; however a major exhibition at the University of Brighton in 2011 and the London Transport Museum’s 2012 Mind the Map show have triggered an enormous resurgence of interest. Max Gill’s great-niece discusses the artist’s life and work, and present images of many of his important commissions, from book jackets and lettering designs to the colourful, often humorous, maps which made his name.
Caroline Walker is the great-niece of MacDonald and Eric Gill and is by profession an English teacher. She started researching MacDonald Gill in 2006, co-curated the 2011 University of Brighton exhibition Out of the Shadows: MacDonald Gill, and is currently writing her great-uncle’s biography.