HU Covers 1973

Covers from Honest Ulsterman issues from 1973. There were five issues of the HU published in 1973. John Middleton was responsible for the covers this year. He studied at the Belfast College of Art from 1963 to 1966, and the Royal College of Art, London, from 1966 until 1969. From 1969 to 1971 he was a lecturer in print making in London, and he returned to Belfast to teach art in Kelvin Secondary School. He exhibited widely and had many one-man shows. He was the son of Colin Middleton.

There is a cohesion in terms of a darker content in the covers of 1973. The first issue of the year is very very daring in the context of 1973 Northern Ireland. It appears to be a kind of Celtic dolman type stone at first glance then the viewer quickly recognises it as in fact an erect penis covered in religious looking symbols. The next three issues all have figures partly or wholly blanked out in a humorous manner in the March to May issue as if they were signing on to the dole or perhaps voting and more sinisterly in the last issue of the year 

The editor of this year's issues was Frank Ormsby.

Click on the image to access the covers.