American Modernism

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 influences, 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 midcentury 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.