#designarchives

In the Vignelli archives, there’s a binder of transparencies labeled “early work.” Included is this image of a brightly colored display for Underwood typewriters. We’ve zoomed in so you can get a better look, but we don’t have much information about this project. We would love to hear from you if you know more about it!

Here’s a bit of the text: “This flexible Underwood display is made up of a series of parts that can be assembled in various ways to make up one or more window or counter displays.

The parts that make up the display are the following:

2 screens, one large (A) and one small (B). Both screens have a vertical cut in the center and can be fitted into one another to form a sturdy support. The screens are pink and red on one side and green and blue on the other side. 

4 triangular shaped parts (C). 2 red and pink and 2 green and blue are used as display tops.

A square and a rectangular shaped part (D and E) red on one side and green on the other side are used as extra display tops.

Several discs (F) bear the name of the name of the machines displayed. 

The structures described here are the easiest to obtain with this Underwood display. Of Course, the parts can be assembled in many other ways according to the taste and needs of the person using the display.

In 1976, Massimo Vignelli tried his hand at some 7.7 cent bulk rate stamp designs for the United States Postal Service. Sadly, these designs were never chosen to be made into a stamp. We’re not sure if any of these designs were even submitted? Enjoy these stamps that could have been but never were. 

Included in this folder in the archives were some embossed envelop examples sent by designer Bradbury Thompson with explicit instructions to return them. Oops! 

Unimark International designed the graphics and packaging for sugar maker, Great Western United, and, with the help of Lella and Massimo Vignelli, also designed their office interiors.

The Vignellis worked with Charles Sink of the Unimark Denver office to design the space and furnish it, including sofas and chairs from their own Poltronova Saratoga furniture line.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our posts about the various designs that Unimark International created for Great Western united. We wish you all a fantastic holiday season!

See more Great Western United designs from Unimark:

Sugar packaging and graphics:  https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/189832234012/greatwestern-holidays-sugar

The Prime time restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6bddjfny-b/

Emerald Christmas Trees: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6bsdlKHHSo/

Great Western United office interiors 35mm slides Unimark International records Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

If you’ve been in the gallery recently, you might have noticed our updated Vignelli poster display! Please stop by and take a look!

For those of you who can’t make it in person, here’s a closer look at the posters on display! Next up: The Newspaper Advertising Bureau’s Creative Newspaper 15/ATHENA competition Call for Entries

ATHENA = Award To Honor Excellence in Newspaper Advertising

The poster features an image of a newspaper blowing in the wind on a black background. We found the actual newspaper “prop” in the archives! Only the front page is printed with text and the rest of the paper is blank. Cardboard and tape shaped the “newspaper” into the right form for the poster’s photograph. 

Poster text excerpts:

“That means it’s time to gather your best newspaper ads––your most creative, compelling, most humorous work of the past year.”

“The rules are easy. No fancy mounts. No entry fees. Just fill out the entry blank or a photocopy, and tape it (no paper clips please!) to the back of each proof, velox, or tearsheet. Then mail to us”

Huge thank you to our fabulous colleagues at the University Gallery at RIT for installing the poster display!

ICYMI, read the other posts about the updated poster display:

https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/187693814087/vignelli-poster-display-fewbasictypefaces

https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/187800177087/vignelli-poster-display-fortworth

https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/188131716557/vignelli-posterdisplay-fellini

https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/188370547262/vignelli-poster-display-europeaniceberg

https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/189214402752/vignelli-posterdisplay-designerssaturday

Creative Newspaper 15/ATHENA competition Call for Entries Call for Entries poster, 1990 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Designer to Designer

The first Friday of every month the National Archives throws an #ArchivesHashtagParty. This month the theme is #ArchivesPenPals.

The archives has many examples of the Massimo and Lella Vignellis’ correspondence with other designers. Here is a short note from designer and illustrator Milton Glaser who invited Massimo to talk to his class. 

“Dear Massimo,

Thanks for coming to class. The students were thrilled as was I. Let’s continue the argument.″

Although we don’t have any other details about what transpired, we are very intrigued about what the argument was.

See other examples of correspondence from the archives:   https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/search/correspondence

Happy #InternationalBeerDay!

If you've been in the gallery lately, you might have noticed something happening. A brand new Vignelli poster display! Please stop by and take a look!

Huge thank you to out fabulous colleagues at the RIT University Gallery for installing it!

For those of you who can’t make it in person, here’s closer look at the posters on display! First up: “A Few Basic Typefaces” exhibition poster

This exhibition was held at the School of Visual Arts in 1991. 16 pedestals featuring Vignelli designs using only for typefaces: Bodoni, Century, Garamond, and Helvetica. 

“It was a polemical exhibition to protest the inflation of meaningless typefaces polluting our world." Vignelli: From A to Z, p. 187 

“A Few Basic Typefaces” exhibition poster, 1991 Massimo and Lella Vignelli papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York