The History of Graphic Design Vol. 1. 1890-1959

by Jens Müller, Julius Wiedemann (Editor)

History is a complex business. Fortunes boom and bust, empires wax and wane, and change―whether social, political, or technological―has its winners, its losers, its advocates, and its enemies. Through all the turbulent passage of time, graphic design―with its vivid, neat synthesis of image and idea―has distilled the spirit of each age. This book is an in-depth history of graphic design from the end of the 19th century to the ’50s. It traces the evolution of this creative field from its beginning as poster design to its further development into advertising, corporate identity, packaging, and editorial design. Organized chronologically, the volume features over 2,500 seminal designs from all over the world, 71 of which are profiled in detail besides 61 leaders in the field, including Alphonse Mucha (chocolate advertisements), Edward Johnston (London Underground logo and typeface), El Lissitzky (constructivist graphics), Herbert Matter (photomontage travel posters from Switzerland), Saul Bass (animated opening titles), and A. M. Cassandre (art deco posters). With his sweeping knowledge of the field, author Jens Müller curates the standout designs for each year alongside a running sequence of design milestones. Meanwhile, in his introductory essay, David Jury situates graphic design from its point of origin in early printing, engraving, and lithography to striking creative developments in the 19th century. Each consecutive decade is then prefaced by a succinct overview as well as a stunning visual timeline, offering a vivid display of the variety of graphic production in each decade as well as the global landscape which it at once described and defined. As we move on from and reflect upon the 20th century, this first volume examines the foundations of what would influence some of the fastest-changing creative fields. Combined with Volume Two―which spans from the 1960s until today―the tomes offer the most comprehensive exploration of graphic design to date and a long-overdue recognition of its enormous contribution to economics, politics, social causes, the arts, media, and the way we see the world.

Genres: Design, Art, Nonfiction, History, Art Design, Coffee Table Books, Reference

480 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2017

About the author

Jens Müller was born in Koblenz, Germany, in 1982 and studied graphic design. Recipient of numerous national and international design awards, he is a partner of Vista design studio in Düsseldorf and professor of corporate design at the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of graphic design this book is a must. This is really a visual history, there is very little text. So, if you are looking for an in depth this is not the book for you. If you want to see some amazing works, and experience a visual progression, this book is amazing. Enjoy.

[WAIA · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an impossible task to be able to collect and shape a book like this. It is a herculean task. it falters in certain areas of graphical history. There's a strong focus on Japan but the rest of asia is somewhat abandoned. There are only a few works from china and korea and aside from that there's nothing. You would expect to see say, Maoist china art come by but that has somehow slipped through the hands of the creators of the book. It's not all bad of course. Given countries like Brazil and Cuba have gotten room in this book to shine in a way I had not seen in other graphic design history books.

It might have been worth more as a book to include even more cultural context. Even though it does a fair job at that in its focus areas (europe, America) it is quiet incomplete. For example they show the Russian Tourism logo but do not jump to correlate it to painters such as Kazimir Malevich. If the book would have cross referenced more it would have been better. This would make the reader more active too.

Even though it falls on its face in regards to its premise it is still quiet a good book and I like it a lot.
I would have not found the names of several creatives and movements I have a heightened interest in looking into if not for the book. Finally knowing that those a poster I had known for many years belonged to Shigeo Fukuda is great.

Anyway I hold a mixed bag of positive and negative feelings. It does good in its focus areas, but it might have been better to go for a less ambitious title. Because my god it is ambitious. I'll end it off by saying: Fantastic work for being able to collect this much different work from many different creatives. It is worth your time whether your a layman, an enthousiast or somebody in the field.
It will certainly broaden your views on the 20th century by all of its differing imagery.

[Reese Derksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this trip through time greatly, with world events being interconnected alongside design styles to give greater context. The design of the book itself is something to be applauded.

My only disappointment is that it heavily focuses on the work of Western men (like most design books do). It does recognize a few South American and Japanese men too, but that doesn’t seem like enough to call yourself a truly international history book of graphic design.

[Rxmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The designer must think first, work later."
—Ladislav Sutnar, Visual Design in Action, 1961

[Synaps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This enormous collection—1000 pages in two volumes the size of a large codex—lets the reader travel through time. The emergence of marketing in the late 19th century sparked a big bang of its own: A frenetic, ongoing exploration of instant, impactful, visual expression.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenominal

[Alain Lacroix · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Catarina ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will never not make me happy

[Ganier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pp

[Camila Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó, si te gusta el diseño gráfico es perfecto. Una gran fuente de inspiración e historia principalmente desde lo visual.

[Suhail · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a behemoth but such a good book, so much information

[Bernardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un muy buen libro. El repaso de los diseñadores y artistas que han forjado la historia del diseño son breves, pero sustanciosas, no hace falta mucho más para tener una comprensión clara de las corrientes y movimientos del diseño, pues, como debe, el libro apela su oferta gráfica, que es suficiente para complementar lo que viene narrado. Excelente.