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Thomas Swimmer

Born 1932, Dieppe, France. Died 1983

Originally called Thomas Taylor, he later changed his surname to his mother's maiden name, Swimmer. He studied at Heatherley's School of Art under lan MacNab from 1948-50. He then spent six years at the Royal Academy Schools. In 1955 he won the Royal Academy Gold Medal and in 1956 the Royal Academy Students Diploma. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Redfern and Piccadilly Galleries. For a while he worked for the BBC.

In 1963 and 1964 Shell/BP published their series of forty-eight 'Shilling Guides' using the leading commercial artists of the day; The South Coast Guide was illustrated by Swimmer. The illustrations for this series were later re-published in the Shell Guide to Britain. He used to have a studio on the edge of Dartmoor near Brentor.

His work is in the collection of Leicester City Art Gallery.

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