The Student

This 1967 ink drawing by Peter Blake was used to illustrate the first edition of Richard Branson’s Student magazine, which was founded in response to the demand of Britain’s youth culture for a publication that highlighted the political and cultural changes of their time. Branson’s periodical was conceived in the 1960s, a decade which saw immense changes in the lives of young people in Britain. The founding of several ‘Plate Glass’ universities, in response to the Robbins Report, as well as the increased number of comprehensive secondary schools, reflected the demand for more diverse institutions and aimed at facilitating more affordable educational opportunities for students. As a result, Blake’s cover would need to reflect the ideals of this new generation.