Alan Fletcher

Fletcher attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts, where he studied alongside future Pentagram partners Colin Forbes and Theo Crosby.^2,3 A reference source states that he attended four art schools between 1952 and 1959.² At the Central School, Jesse Collins insisted that illustration students acquire sufficient typography knowledge to survive professionally.³

The school's environment was described as a powerhouse of creativity and experimentation during an era of food rationing and material shortages.³ Fletcher later studied at the Royal College of Art and Yale University.^2,4 Yale instructors named in accounts include Alvin Eisenman, Norman Ives, Herbert Matter, Bradbury Thompson, Joseph Albers, and Paul Rand.³ Fletcher described Albers as 'a bit of a prima donna,' while Paul Rand helped him obtain work and remained an abiding influence.³

After returning to London, Fletcher partnered with Colin Forbes and Bob Gill.⁴ Published accounts differ on the founding date of their firm, with Getty Research recording 1960 and Sessions College dating it to 1962.^1,4 In 1965, Gill left the firm and Theo Crosby joined, leading to a change in the firm's name.⁴

Getty Research dates the firm's transition to Pentagram to 1972, with the name reflecting five founding members.^1,4 According to Sessions College, Fletcher and his Pentagram partners played a critical role in shaping modern views of corporate identity.⁴

Fletcher was interviewed in the book A Smile in the Mind: Witty Thinking in Graphic Design.⁵ His work is represented in the Museum of Modern Art New York's Artists collection from 2000 onwards.¹ Fletcher's name appears in the Library of Congress Authorities and the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names.¹