The Herald newspaper has carried an obituary of one of its former journalists.
David Hogarth died last month, aged 75. He was, says the paper, a journalist, features editor and writer, adding: “Over the 230-odd years of The Herald’s life there have been many colourful characters: David Hogarth was such a one. Apparently saturnine, he was nonetheless both emotional and idealistic, and frequently given to the flamboyant.”
The paper continues: “He first joined the then Glasgow Herald as a copyboy under Sir William Robieson in 1953 during his English studies at Glasgow University, where he edited the university magazine. In those days, small advertisements still covered the Herald front page, as they had done since the 18th century, and after their replacement with news Hogarth was to play a major role in altering the newspaper’s image in the field of features.
“After his return from service with the Royal Air Force, he rose quickly to become a senior news sub-editor and then joined Beaverbrook Newspapers, where he became deputy chief sub-editor of the Scottish Daily Express. He was recalled to The Glasgow Herald in 1962 by the then features editor George MacDonald Fraser (later, famously, the author of the Flashman novels).
“The Mackintosh Tower where they worked was a hub of creative activity. At Fraser’s instigation Hogarth redesigned the paper’s feature pages – he was the first to use bold display types and irregular settings typical of the “popular” press and many of his designs caused heated controversy among both staff and readers. But, as with the earlier front-page revolution, his innovations proved successful and popular in the end.
“Also a writer, Hogarth specialised in music (he was the paper’s first record reviewer) and travel. He was also a poet of no mean ability, his first published work in the genre appearing in The Glasgow Herald in 1961.”
Read more of the obituary, here.
