Conrad Heighton Leigh

Conrad H. Leigh was born in Brighton on 27 May 1883. His father was the surgeon Thomas Leigh. He attended Rostellan House School, Brighton and the Old Brighton Grammar School before studying at the Brighton School of Art under William H. Bond (1861–1918).  In 1915 Leigh was commissioned by the wallpaper manufacturers John Gilkes and Sons to provide designs for their wallpaper range and additionally designed their celebrated promotion poster in 1920 which has been reproduced and is retailed by many modern print and poster stores.  A further celebrated poster was designed by Leigh for the Brighton Carnival (24 June to 1 July c.1920s, actual year is unknown), again this poster has been recently reproduced and retailed in print and poster stores. Conrad Leigh worked at 68 Grand Parade, Brighton, now the site of the University of Brighton Faculty of Arts.

He went on to study at the Slade School of Art in London and the Académie Julian in Paris. He is particularly well known for his sporting and military subjects, many of which were used as illustrations for books, periodicals and popular postcards in the early half of the 20th century. His work featured regularly in the Strand Magazine, The Daily Mirror, Wide World and Windsor.

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