Nine Pioneers in American Graphic Design (Hardcover)

by R. Roger Remington (Author), Barbara J. Hodik (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Graphic designer R. Roger Remington and art historian Barbara Hodik have collaborated in this splendidly illustrated book to profile the careers and contributions of nine men who shaped the graphic design profession from the 1930s to the 1950s. Nine Pioneers in American Graphic Design explores each designer's milieu education, philosophy of design, body of work client relations, and problem­solving approaches. The more than 200 illustrations, 55 in color, are drawn from almost every medium of graphic expression, including posters, advertising magazines, book jackets, business graphics, and signage. Remington and Hodik's carefully researched work brings an important part of graphic design history to life and provides a better understanding of contemporary graphics through a comprehensive look at these pioneering designers: Mehemed Fehmy Agha, who introduced bleed photographs and the duotone; Alexey Brodovitch, known for his liquid sense of motion and always changing graphic composition; Charles Coiner, the first American graphic designer to address the needs of the US. government with innovative design; William Golden, most famous for designing the CBS "eye"; Lester Beall, proponent of the "new typography" and known as the "businessman's designer"; Will Burtin who designed several Worlds Fair exhibits; Alvin Lustig, a noted designer and art educator whose career was cut tragically short by blindness and death at age 40; Ladislav Sutnar, renowned for his work on the McGraw Hill "Sweet's" catalog, and Bradbury Thompson, who designed many publications including Smithsonian Magazine and the Chicago Daily News. Both authors teach at Rochester Institute of Technology. R. Roger Remington is Professor of Graphic Design and Barbara Hodik is Professor of Art History.

About the Author
R. Roger Remington considers himself primarily a teacher who has critical interests in design studies (graphic design history, theory and methods), research, writing and graphic design practice. Since 1982 he has been engaged in the research, interpretation, and preservation of the history of graphic design. He has cochaired two major symposia on graphic design history and written a book, Nine Pioneers in American Graphic Design, for The MIT Press. His second book, Lester Beall: Trailblazer of American Graphic Design was published in July of 1996 by W.W. Norton. Presently he is working on a book, A New Unity: Modernism in American Graphic Design:1930-1950forLaurenceKingPublishers in London. The Graphic Design Archive at RIT, which he developed, involves preserving and interpreting the original source materials of 16 design pioneers such as Lester Beall, Will Burtin, Cipe Pineles, William Golden and Alvin Lustig among others. In 1999 his design history course on 20th Century Information Design is targeted at on-line learners. Presently he is developing a new course on “Women Pioneers in American Graphic Design.”

Product Details

• Hardcover: 199 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (February 10, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262181339
• ISBN-13: 978-0262181334
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,330,053 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seminole Work Defining The Profession, September 22, 2000

By A Customer

Nine pioneers of graphic design was the first complete attempt at defining those who set the standard in the developing profession of graphic design. Paul Rand, William Golden, Lester Beall and Saul Bass are all examined. Fairly complete bios begin at birth and explore the origins of these masters to desires to become graphic designers and what influences led them to develop their own unique theme as a designer.

A must have for any serious student of graphic design. Required reading for all others.