W.A. Dwiggins: A Life in Design
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Author: Dwiggins, W.A.
This richly illustrated and detailed volume presents the first thorough study of revolutionary designer W.A. Dwiggins. Often credited with inventing the term “graphic design,” Dwiggins is perhaps most remembered as a book and typeface designer, however he was also a quintessential "maker", fabricating his own tools and experimenting with design across myriad realms. This beautifully produced book surveys his diverse creative output and lasting impact on the graphic arts. Dwiggins experimented with design in areas as wide-ranging as stamps, currency, books, kites, marionettes, theatrical sets and lighting. While he began his career in advertising, Dwiggins became a book designer. He also created several typefaces including Electra and Caledonia, which are still used in publishing today. More than any of his contemporaries, Dwiggins united the full range of applied arts into a single profession: designer. Filled with colourful book covers and intricate stencil designs, 'W.A. Dwiggins: A Life in Design' is a worthy testament to Dwiggins’ consistent innovation. Designer and author Bruce Kennett’s careful research, warm prose and inclusion of personal accounts from Dwiggins’ friends portray not only a brilliant designer but a truly likable character. W.A. Dwiggins (1880–1956) studied printing and typography under Frederic Goudy in Chicago. He designed four widely used Linotype faces: Caledonia, Eldorado, Electra and Metro. As a book designer for Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., he designed 329 books, of which 17 were honoured by the American Institute of Graphic Arts.
ISBN 9780998318004. Letterform Archive Books. hb. 496 pages. 1100 colour, 120 b/w ills. 27.9 x 22.9 cm.
available
This richly illustrated and detailed volume presents the first thorough study of revolutionary designer W.A. Dwiggins. Often credited with inventing the term “graphic design,” Dwiggins is perhaps most remembered as a book and typeface designer, however he was also a quintessential "maker", fabricating his own tools and experimenting with design across myriad realms. This beautifully produced book surveys his diverse creative output and lasting impact on the graphic arts. Dwiggins experimented with design in areas as wide-ranging as stamps, currency, books, kites, marionettes, theatrical sets and lighting. While he began his career in advertising, Dwiggins became a book designer. He also created several typefaces including Electra and Caledonia, which are still used in publishing today. More than any of his contemporaries, Dwiggins united the full range of applied arts into a single profession: designer. Filled with colourful book covers and intricate stencil designs, 'W.A. Dwiggins: A Life in Design' is a worthy testament to Dwiggins’ consistent innovation. Designer and author Bruce Kennett’s careful research, warm prose and inclusion of personal accounts from Dwiggins’ friends portray not only a brilliant designer but a truly likable character. W.A. Dwiggins (1880–1956) studied printing and typography under Frederic Goudy in Chicago. He designed four widely used Linotype faces: Caledonia, Eldorado, Electra and Metro. As a book designer for Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., he designed 329 books, of which 17 were honoured by the American Institute of Graphic Arts.
ISBN 9780998318004. Letterform Archive Books. hb. 496 pages. 1100 colour, 120 b/w ills. 27.9 x 22.9 cm.
available