The Dark Side of the Moon's famous prism is among an exhibition of dramatic album covers by designer Storm Thorgerson on show in Highgate.

The display coincides with the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's iconic album, and a new film about Hipgnosis; the design studio which Thorgerson co-founded.

It's also 10 years since the death of the West Hampstead designer, who created album artwork for Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Led Zeppelin, The Cranberries and 10CC.

Ham & High: Pink Floyd The Division Bell designed by Storm Thorgerson Pink Floyd The Division Bell designed by Storm Thorgerson (Image: Storm Thorgerson)

His widow Barbie Antonis said it was appropriate to display the 30 plus album covers at Lauderdale House where they held their wedding party, and Storm's funeral following his death from cancer aged 69.

"Storm had his studio in Belsize Park and everybody knew him," she said.

"He was a one-off force of nature, very charistmatic and loved by his friends. Not a day goes by without someone saying how much they miss him.

Ham & High: Barbie Antonis and Storm Thorgerson who held their wedding party at Lauderdale House.Barbie Antonis and Storm Thorgerson who held their wedding party at Lauderdale House. (Image: Courtesy of Barbie Antonis)

"Personally I wanted to mark the 10th anniversary of his death, but there is also an excellent new film about the company which he co-founded in the late 60s, even though it's the saddest thing that he is not around to speak for himself."

Anton Corbijn's Squaring the Circle describes how Thorgerson and fellow Hipgnosis designer Aubrey Powell changed the record sleeve forever, creating Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy cover at Northern Ireland's Giant’s Causeway, or Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here sleeve with a stuntman set on fire, in the days before digital photography.

Ham & High: The album cover for Peter Gabriel's Scratch.The album cover for Peter Gabriel's Scratch. (Image: Storm Thorgerson)

Thorgerson attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys with Pink Floyd founders Syd Barrett and Roger Waters, and was a teenage friend of guitarist Dave Gilmour, which led to his first commission for A Saucerful of Secrets.

"They were a friendship group as well as professionals working to make cutting edge music," adds Barbie.

Ham & High: The exhibition at Lauderdale House includes artwork created by Storm Thorgerson for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon album.The exhibition at Lauderdale House includes artwork created by Storm Thorgerson for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon album. (Image: Nathan Rasdall)

"Storm was incredibly innovative, creative and imaginitive. He knew how to grasp the nettle, he wanted to get things right, and wanted to do them for real. That's how their reputation grew, making these extraordinary installations in extraordinary places. They were very successful, until Storm and Aubrey fell out spectacularly.

"Before vinyl went into decline album covers were wonderful cultural objects, works of art that people pored over to look at the detail and read the sleeve notes. But record companies don't think about the covers in the same way."

Ham & High: Storm Thorgerson's album cover for rock group Audioslave.Storm Thorgerson's album cover for rock group Audioslave. (Image: Storm Thorgerson)

Barbie added that although Storm had a reputation for being "rude and impossible to work for" - Floyd drummer Nick Mason said he was 'a man who wouldn't take yes for an answer' - he worked "creatively, collectively and cooperatively" with his design team at Storm Studios in Belsize Park.

"He was a perfectionist who was true to his art and protected his own corner when record bosses said 'you can't put that on the cover'. But that should be balanced with all the friends who miss him. He was so loved."

Ham & High: Ian Dury Mr Lovepants album cover.Ian Dury Mr Lovepants album cover. (Image: Storm Thorgerson)

Squaring the Circle by Anton Corbijn is in cinemas from July 14 and Storm Thorgerson The Art of the Imagination runs at Lauderdale House until July 17.