This is the first comprehensive survey of Modernist
graphic design as it emerged in America in the period
from 1920 and 1960 in various media—advertising,
information design, brand identity, magazine design,
book design, and posters. It examines the great works
which by mid-century had defined American
graphic design.
The book begins with a section devoted to the
emergence of Modernism and its major historical
influence, such as European avant-garde movements,
popular culture, educational innovations such as the
Bauhaus School, architecture, industrial design, and
photography. The heart of the book includes the key
works of mid-century Modernism as it matured into
a fully-formed American style, bringing together
such great names as Alexey Brodovitch, Lester Beall,
Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Will Burtin, and Alvin Lustig.
The final section looks at the impact of and reactions
to this new movement as graphic design in America
matured in the 1960s and beyond.
• The first comprehensive survey of Modernist
graphic design as it emerged in America between
1920 and 1960
• Includes advertising, information design,
identity, magazine design, print, dimensional
design, and posters
• New, attractive format
