We’re celebrating 40 years with Harry Lyon-Smith

(main image, Harry with John Havergal in 2024)

This month, IllustrationX is giving three huge cheers to managing director Harry Lyon-Smith, who has been with the agency for 40 years. During that time, he’s led the company through momentous technological and economic change, weathered global recessions and embraced a more planet-friendly way of doing things.

Harry circa 1990 at Garden Studio

Harry joined on 1 July 1985, when the agency was still called Garden Studio and catered mainly to the wildlife and natural history side of the market. Under the tutelage of the then MD John Havergal, the former motorcycle courier began learning the ropes while bringing new ideas and a fresh perspective to the business. It would later become Illustration Ltd and then IllustrationX, the international brand it is today.

Creativity and opportunity

‘A portfolio for any enquiry’ was a mantra Harry introduced early on, recruiting agents and artists that would make the agency relevant across editorial, advertising, publishing, packaging, children’s books and more. The agency was one of the first to publish a website, utilising social media platforms to nurture an extensive following. But it isn’t just the marketing potential of emerging technologies Harry recognised – he also saw how the digital revolution was changing the creative industries. In response, he assembled a team of agents capable of adapting to how emerging digital agencies work. Alongside this, illustrators have been recruited whose styles and creative processes meet the ever-changing needs of connected digital markets.

Around the world

“You’d do better if you spoke proper French,” is a comment Harry heard while trying to drum up business in Paris. Thus began the agency’s exciting adventures seeking partners and opening offices overseas. In 1993, the French office was established with Marie Bastille. The following year, a second international venture began with Die Illustratoren in Germany, and a few years later Illustration Ltd ventured into America. Offices in Australia, Asia and South America have followed.

All the while, the agency has recruited a varied stable of illustrators and animators from countries and cultures around the world. Harry has baked the values of equality, inclusion and diversity into how we operate. It’s not just the right thing to do, it makes business sense. With these values, connecting artists with clients across borders and across cultures becomes a natural process.

For the planet

Harry and his trusty Royal Enfield called Batty at the southern most tip of New Zealand

In 2011, Harry’s journey took a different turn with a two-year sabbatical and an around-the- world tour on a Royal Enfield (www.vegibike.com), converted to run on vegetable oil for a lower carbon footprint. Motoring from city to city on a motorbike, he witnessed mankind’s devastating impact on the environment – consuming and abusing Mother Nature everywhere.

Although illustration agencies don’t generate huge emissions, every business has an impact, and when Harry returned in 2013 we pledged to donate 1% of turnover to the planet. Contributing to the Ten Million Trees program, we facilitate planting in Africa’s Rift Valley and to a greater extent in Zambia. At the time of writing, 2,160,321 trees have been planted with the potential to sequester 172,841 tonnes CO2e.

Ambition?

“I suppose I do have some ambition” says Harry. “There’s always been an ambition to give artists the best opportunities and to do what they love doing. For our clients, the ambition is to make them look great, with the best talent and increadibly professional service. And for the wonderful people here at IllustrationX, it’s to enjoy and thrive making both of these things happen.”

Thank you, Harry, for 40 years of progress and success, and we look forward to a future that’s just as positive. So let’s have those three cheers…

Words by Garrick Webster