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My friend and former colleague Fred Lightfoot, who has died aged 96, was an organiser of large-scale international exhibitions.
Fred was born near Tooting Bec, south London, to Frederick Lightfoot, assistant superintendent of a parcels office, and Mabel (nee Cooper).
After attending Rowan high school he gained his first job at the age of 14 with the consulting engineers Preece, Cardew and Rider, and witnessed the Kingston upon Thames power station being designed. That set in train his love of modern architecture and design. This was reinforced when he won a Co-operative Society award to visit Denmark to study design in the Co-operative movement.
During the second world war Fred served in the RAF in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and India – the latter was a lifelong love. On his return to London after the war, he became closely involved in local leftwing politics, out of a deep empathy with the daily concerns of ordinary people.
Fred joined the exhibitions division of the Central Office of Information (CoI) in 1951, just as the Festival of Britain was inspiring a huge wave of national optimism. It was also in 1951 that he married Joan (nee Sims), a fellow worker at the CoI. The couple had two sons but later separated.
He went on to project-manage the immensely successful British pavilion, designed by Sir Basil Spence, for Expo 67 in Montreal. The pavilion’s exhibits showcased Concorde, the hovercraft, the Mini and Mary Quant, among other design icons, all selected to highlight the theme The Challenge of Change. For that initiative Fred was made an
The way in which new ideas were expressed through exhibition at Expo 67 left a lasting impression on Fred – and made him determined to change how Great Britain should be presented thereafter. After befriending the newly appointed director of the Design Council, Sir Paul Reilly, he eagerly engaged with several emerging commercial design giants of that period, including Conran and Pentagram.
In 1971 he was appointed deputy director of the Commonwealth Institute, where he immersed himself in addressing the challenges presented by a post-colonial world. His innovations there (including themed, sensory and immersive exhibitions) influenced the way that many cultural, educational and arts organisations operate today.
He retired from the Commonwealth Institute in 1983, having overseen royal visits and worldwide cultural celebrations, and fostered an enduring commitment to international and intercultural understanding.
He is survived by his long-term partner, Effie Geracopoulou, and his sons, Robert and David.
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