RIT Releases New Version of Book About History of the American Poster

The American Image: U.S. Posters from the 19^th to the 21^st Century is the first compact history of American posters covering a wide range of themes from election campaigns, the nation’s war efforts, entertainment, travel and consumers. This new version of the book, published by the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press, features full color reproductions of 78 posters from the private collection of Mark and Maura Resnick. The Resnicks have assembled what may be the largest collection of American posters outside of the Smithsonian Institution.

Mark Resnick along with R. Roger Remington, Lella and Massimo Vignelli Distinguished Professor in Design at RIT, will host a presentation with Nicholas Lowry, Swann Auction Galleries president and poster specialist. The presentation, Collecting, Studying and Preserving Modernist Graphic Design, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 9, at Swann Auction Galleries, 104 East 25th Street, New York City, 6th floor. A booksigning will immediately follow to benefit RIT’s Cary Graphic Arts Press. Space is limited. To reserve a seat, call (212) 254-4710, ext. 305.

The book was produced at RIT as part of a research project comparing quality and color management issues of different printing processes. An earlier edition was printed on an HP Indigo digital press, while this new version was printed on a Heidelberg offset press.

The posters range from design masterpieces to works of primarily historical value, from renowned designers such as Lester Beall, Maxfield Parrish, Dorothy Waugh and Milton Glaser, to those created anonymously. The posters reflect the history of U.S. graphic design, dramatic changes in style, advertising theory, and printing, as well as the emergence of key graphic designers.

The book includes a preface and authoritative commentary on each of the 78 posters from Mark Resnick, executive vice president, business affairs, Twentieth Century Fox. Remington contributes an incisive essay on American poster design.

In addition to the Cary Graphic Arts Press, RIT’s School of Design, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, and the Printing Applications Lab collaborated on the book’s production.

The American Image is available in hard cover and paperback. The hard cover edition is $50 and the paperback can be purchased for $30 and is available online through the Cary Graphic Arts Press Web site at http://carypress.rit.edu or at http://www.amazon.com.

RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press is a new academic press at RIT that publishes peer-reviewed scholarly content. Together with a new, companion imprint—RIT Press—the Cary Graphic Arts Press is working to craft a university press model that is progressive, innovative and nimble. It maintains a close relationship with the Melbert B. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection at RIT, a renowned resource for those studying printing and graphic communications history, bookbinding, typography, papermaking, calligraphy and graphic design.