THE WORK of the man behind some of the most iconic album covers will go on display at an exhibition celebrating his work.

George Hardie, who was responsible for iconic album covers for Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, will showcase more than 50 years of work at University of Brighton.

Mr Hardie, from Chichester, said: “People can expect a view of 50 years’ work covering extremely public projects, from record covers for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd to postage stamps for the Royal Mail.

“But it is also concerned with self-publishing, collecting, drawing and visual ideas.”

The 72-year-old has had an illustrious career as a graphic designer and educator.

After training at the Royal College of Art, he worked as a designer and illustrator for more than 50 years for clients around the world, many of whom were rock music royalty.

He went on to teach illustration at the University of Brighton from the early 1980s until his retirement in 2014.

He continues to supervise university PhD students having become professor in 1990.

Among his works on display will be the original artwork of Led Zeppelin’s debut album, Led Zeppelin.

It features a black and white image of a burning Hindenburg airship, referring to the origin of the band’s name.

The album cover received widespread attention when, at a 1970 gig in Copenhagen, the band was billed as The Nobs as the result of a legal threat from aristocrat Eva von Zeppelin, a relative of the creator of Zeppelin aircraft.

Von Zeppelin, on seeing the logo of the Hindenburg crashing in flames, threatened to have the show pulled off the air if the band did not stop using Zeppelin in their name while working in Denmark.

Mr Hardie said: “The original artwork of Led Zeppelin is on a tiny scrap of paper

“It is totally recognisable but very strange. It was then blown up for the album cover.”

With the rising popularity of vinyl, Mr Hardie is expecting the exhibition to attract a wide audience.

He said: “The show is by no means a row of finished record covers but much more interesting.

“It should be of interest to students and teachers but also explains to the public how both well-known and much disseminated images are arrived at.”

You can see the exhibition George Hardie – 50 Odd Years from Saturday, March 11 to April 7 in the University of Brighton Gallery at the College of Arts and Humanities at 59-67 Grand Parade, Brighton.