While waiting for the new Penguin Modern Classics edition of Equus in a cover by me to finally appear in bookshops, I’ve discovered that there have been many covers for the play over the years. My favourite is the beautiful black and white image designed by Gilbert Lesser that was the original poster for the play, and later appeared as a cover for the paperback. Here are two versions of it that were made for the ‘Bard’ edition.
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There are editions that carry photographic images from the film and various stage versions of the play, though relatively few with ‘artwork’. I haven’t been able to track down with any certainty the designers, publishers and dates of the following covers. (I’d need the knowledge of John Coulthart for that.) But as and when I gather any more information, I’ll be adding to this post.
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And the most recent, with an image by me.
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Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Artlog: 
I favor top two designs and the bottom one. Great idea to incorporate the horse and the man in one.
Hello Mathijs. Lovely to hear from you again.
Lovely to read, too, that you favour the Gilbert Lesser design, and my own.
I love the first two images, the addition of the orange eyes just pips it in my view.
It’s only a small touch but it greatly enhances the overall impact… oh and the last image of course! 🙂
For me it’s the other way around. I like the impenetrable black eyes.
Thought the Peter Firth one is my second favourite.
They saved the best till last then!
The Gilbert Lesser will always be my favourite. The cover with Peter Firth is good compositionally, though I would have preferred it in black and white.
Very sweet of you to write that they saved the best until last. I wish it were true, but I think time may prove that the best came first.
yeah, you’re probably right about black and white in that case.