Geoffrey Harcourt CV

Born in London in 1935 and attended High Wycombe Technical School, then High Wycombe School of Art where he gained an National Diploma in Design (NDD) and won a place at the Royal College of Art after conscription into the Royal Artillery in 1955.



Royal College of Art 1957 - 60, Des RCA, Silver Medallist and Major Travelling Scholarship Winner to the United States.



Travelled and worked in the USA from 1960 - 61. notably for an industrial design partnership in Chicago. On return to Europe he worked in Copenhagen for Jacob Jensen, the inspiration behind the Bang and Olufsen range of products.



Returned to England in 1962 to start his own practice. 



Notable among his clients since 1962 has been the Dutch manufacturer Artifort for whom he has designed a great many programmes of seating, many of which are still in production. Perhaps most notable a chaise longue which has come to be known as 'Cleo' which was designed in 1970 and remains a modern classic and still in limited production.  His furniture designs are manufactured under licence in Italy and Japan. Clients in the UK have included Gordon Russell, Hands of Wycombe. Ben Dawson of Musselburgh, Mines and West and many more.



Nominated for a design award by one of America's Societies of Design in 1968.



 Work by Geoffrey Harcourt has been exhibited world wide, notably at the Steidlijk Museum in Amsterdam 1967 and included in their permanent collection, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, Prague Museum of Decorative Arts 1972. Design Council London and Glasgow 1976 and 81; Eye for Industry Exhibition at the V & A 1987. Nederlands Textile Museum 1988, Manchester Prize Exhibition 1988 and at both the 100 year and 150 years Exhibitions at the Royal College of Art.



Elected to the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) in 1978 and was Master from 2003 - 2005. Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.



He has taught periodically at many academic institutions including the RCA and has been external examiner to that College and many others.



Published two volumes of pages from his sketch books through Amazon and available through them in Arts and Architecture section. 



Fuller biography in Who's Who and People of Today.