POULIN + MORRIS News Release Design Consultants Richard Poulin Authors Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History Contact: Pamela Wong, Marketing Manager As James Stewart Polshek, FAIA states in one 212.675.1332, x: 110 GRAPHIC of the book's two forwards, this volume is [email protected] DESIGN “mandatory reading for every graphic designer and architect, as well as all those that aspire ARCHITECTURE to these two professions, and most importantly A 20TH-CENTURY HISTORY for all who are concerned with the humanizing possibilities inherent in the visual arts." A GUIUIDDE TO TYPEYPE, IMIMAGEE,, SYMBOYMBOLL, AND VISVISUAL STORYTTELELLINGING IINN THHEE MMODODERERNN WORORLD RICHARD POULIN New York, New York, October 2012: For centuries, the intimate relationship between graphic design and architecture has shaped not only cities and their structures but also the lives of their inhabitants. Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History is the first historical overview which examines this unique marriage of graphic design and architecture in the context of artistic, social, and cultural movements and influences of the twentieth century. The built environment that we experience everyday integrates graphic design that communicates information and identity, shapes our perceptions and memories of our sense of place, and enriches and humanizes our lives. Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History is a compre- hensive reference of visual and narrative material that illustrates and evaluates this unique history which author Richard Poulin hopes that by reflecting on it, we can derive inspiration and insight for the future. About the Author Richard Poulin is cofounder, design director, and principal of Poulin + Morris Inc., an internationally recognized, multidisciplinary design consultancy located in New York City. He is a Fellow of the Society of Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) and past president and board member of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). Since 1992, he has been a faculty member of the School of Visual Arts and has taught and lectured at Cooper Union, Carnegie-Mellon University, Massachusetts College of Art, North Carolina State University, Syracuse University, University of the Arts, and University of Cincinnati. Richard is also the author of The Language of Graphic Design (2011) and the coauthor of Typography Referenced (2012), both published by Rockport Publishers. 46 White Street Second Floor New York New York 10013 phone.212.675.1332 poulinmorris.com POULIN + MORRIS News Release Design Consultants Richard Poulin Authors Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History Contact: Pamela Wong, Marketing Manager 212.675.1332, x: 110 * * * [email protected] The following pages have a selection of images for your review. If you would like more information about this topic, additional photography, or to schedule an interview, please contact Pamela Wong at 212.675.1332 or e-mail [email protected]. October 2012 News Release: Richard Poulin Authors Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History page 2 POULIN + MORRIS News Release Design Consultants Richard Poulin Authors Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History Contact: Pamela Wong, Marketing Manager 212.675.1332, x: 110 [email protected] THE IMPACT OF INVENTION GRAPHIC 1879–1933 DESIGN Paris Metro Entrances, 1898 At the beginning of the twentieth century, change appeared every- ARCHITECTURE Paris, France where. In civilized cultures throughout the world, traditional beliefs Hector Guimard (1867–1942), Architect Lyon, France were starting to be overshadowed by emerging new ideas. A flood of groundbreaking innovations and inventions redefined the archi- A 20TH-CENTURY HISTORY tecture and built environment and forever transformed the now- industrialized modern world. In the 1870s, the invention of electricity and the incandescent lightbulb by Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931) ultimately enhanced the way in which people interacted with one another and with the A GUIUIDDE TO TYPEYPE, IMIMAGEE,, SYMBOYMBOLL, AND VISVISUAL STORYTELTELLINGING IINN THHEE MMODODERERNN WORORLD built environments they lived in. Communication was also dramati- cally altered in the late nineteenth century by the introduction of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) and his assistant, Thomas Watson (1854–1934). The development of the first commercially successful inter- RICHARD POULIN nal combustion engine in 1858 by Belgian engineer Étienne Lenoir (1822–1900) and improvements to the assembly line technique of mass production by American industrialist Henry Ford (1863–1947) in the early 1900s, revolutionized the manner in which people trav- eled from destination to destination, ultimately allowing them to explore every corner of the world. At the beginning of the century, there were approximately 8,000 automobiles in the United States. In 1906, President Theodore 1 “Teddy” Roosevelt (1858–1919) initiated American domestic tour- ism by encouraging Americans public to take to the road and “See America First.” Americans’ love affair with the new automobile and their desire to be mobile and explore the open road grew, and with it came the development of the country’s city, state, and federal road systems; service stations, motor courts, and motels. New and revolutionary explorations in art and architecture around the world also inevitably influenced graphic design in the STYLE AND THE MASS MARKET 1924–1947 News, 1937 During the 1920s and 1930s, freedom of expression and a prefer- New York, New York, USA ence for aesthetic appearance over functional performance be- Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), Designer Los Angeles, California, USA came prevalent throughout most of the modern world. Two of the most predominant and popular styles in graphic design in the built environment to emerge during this time period were art deco and streamline moderne. Art deco, a direct counterpoint to its decorative and organic pre- decessor Art Nouveau, was represented in practically every facet of the applied arts, especially graphic design in the built environment, and was characterized by linear symmetry, geometry, sleek forms, and design motifs derived from Machine Age aesthetics—French decorative cubism, German Bauhaus, Italian futurism, and Rus- sian constructivism. While this lavish, ornamental style was first introduced at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts) in Paris in 1925, it remained extremely popular throughout the modern world for the next two decades. In New York City, art deco styling redefined the city’s urban skyline, as well as the modern skyscraper, with the iconic Chrysler Building (1930), the Empire State Building (1931), and Rockefeller Center (1937). In San Francisco, it became the predominant motif for the Golden Gate Bridge (1937) and in Miami Beach, Tropical 3 Deco ultimately inspired an entire city. Streamline Moderne emerged as a later development of art deco during the late 1920s and 1930s in reaction to austere eco- nomic times caused by the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. To increase sales and profit margins, more and more businesses were placing an unprecedented emphasis on “form over function” with their products. As a result, designers quickly streamlined everyday objects—from soft-drink bottles and household appliances October 2012 News Release: Richard Poulin Authors Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History page 3 POULIN + MORRIS News Release Design Consultants Richard Poulin Authors Graphic Design and Architecture: A 20th-Century History Contact: Pamela Wong, Marketing Manager 212.675.1332, x: 110 [email protected] 1 THE IMPACT OF INVENTION 1879–1933 GEORGES CLAUDE AND LIQUID FIRE HOLLYWOODLAND GRAPHIC 1915 1923 1923 DESIGN NEON LIGHTING TUBE PATENT DRAWING PACKARD NEON SIGN HOLLYWOODLAND SIGN ARCHITECTURE Paris, France Los Angeles, California, USA Los Angeles, California, USA Georges Claude (1870–1960), Inventor Georges Claude (1870–1960), Designer Thomas Fisk Goff (1890–1984), Designer Paris, France Paris, France Los Angeles, California, USA Georges Claude (1870–1960) was a French built environment. In the United States, Times The Hollywood sign was erected in 1923 and A 20TH-CENTURY HISTORY engineer known for the invention and com- Square in New York City and Glitter Gulch in originally read “HOLLYWOODLAND” with each mercialization of neon tube lighting. Neon tube Las Vegas (see page 120) were transformed by of its white, monolithic sans-serif letterforms lighting is created by a chemical reaction or designers such as Douglas Leigh (1907–1999; measuring 45 feet (14 m) high and totaling 350 During World War II, this popular landmark Initially built as a temporary promotional electrical glow discharge that occurs between see page 100) and Young Electric Sign Company linear feet (110 m). When first erected, the sign fell into disrepair and was left in a dilapi- billboard and identifier for an upscale real an electrode and neon or other gases contained (est. 1920) and became world renowned for letters were fabricated of unprotected wood dated state for decades. In 1949, it was restored estate development located in the Hollywood within brightly glowing glass tubing or bulbs. their nighttime neon extravaganzas or “spec- and sheet metal and were illuminated with by the City of Los Angeles with the decision to Hills of Los Angeles, the Hollywood