An overview of the work of illustrator and designer Milton Glaser during the 1960s and 70s

From 1954, when he co-founded the legendary Push Pin Studios, to the late ’70s, Milton Glaser was one of the most celebrated graphic designers of his day, whose work graced countless book and album covers, posters, magazine covers, and advertisements, both famous and little-known. Glaser largely defined the international visual style for illustration, advertising, and typeface design and interest in his legacy continues unabated, with modern creatives acknowledging his influence; for example, in 2014 Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner enlisted Glaser to design the ad campaign and branding for the show’s final season.

His renowned work garnered solo exhibitions at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Creator of the iconic 'I ♥ NY' logo and cofounder of New York magazine, Glaser received numerous accolades and lifetime achievement awards. Across thousands of works across all print media, he invented a graphic language of bright, flat color, drawing and collage, imbued with wit. This collection of work from Glaser’s Pop period features hundreds of examples of his design that have not been seen since their original publication, demonstrating the graphic revolution that transformed design and popular culture.

About the Authors:

Steven Heller is cofounder of the MFA Design / Designer as Entrepreneur at School of Visual Arts, the program where Milton Glaser taught his Design and Intentions course for over ten years. He is also the author or coauthor of more than two hundred books on design and popular culture, most recently his memoir Growing Up Underground: A Memoir of Counterculture New York (2022). He has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic online, and Wired, among many other publications.

Mirko Ilić is a designer, illustrator, and activist based in New York. He organizes and curates shows and lectures around the world, including most recently the Tolerance Poster Show, which has traveled to more than 150 locations in more than forty countries worldwide. He is the coauthor of more than ten books, including The Design of Dissent with Milton Glaser. Not only did he and Milton collaborate on many projects together, but their studios were adjacent to each other for decades.

Beth Kleber is the founding archivist of the Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives at School of Visual Arts Archives in New York City. Prior to opening the Archives to the public, Beth spent two years selecting and preparing the collection with Milton Glaser at his studio on 32nd Street. In her role as Head of Archives, she lectures on design history and research and assists visiting researchers. She is curator and cocurator of several design exhibitions, and her essays have appeared in design anthologies and PRINT magazine, as well as contributing to the Container List blog.

Available again, the enduring, iconic volume showcasing the key early-career work and process of the godfather of modern graphic design, with a new preface by the author

Milton Glaser: Graphic Design, perhaps the most famous book of its kind, explores the early decades of America’s pre-eminent graphic artist. Glaser’s work ranges from the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster to book and record covers; from store and restaurant design to toy creations; and magazine formats including New York magazine and logotypes, all of which define the look of our time. Here Glaser undertakes not only a remarkably wide-ranging representation of his oeuvre from the incredibly fertile early years, but, in a new preface, speaks of the influences on his work, the responsibilities of the artist, the hierarchies of the traditional art world, and the role of graphic design in the area of his creative growth. First published in 1973, Milton Glaser: Graphic Design is an extraordinary achievement and indisputably a classic in the field.

About the Author:

Milton Glaser was born in 1929 in New York City. His artwork has been featured in exhibitions worldwide, including one-man shows at both the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2004 he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and in 2009 he was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. His books include Graphic Design, Art is Work, Drawing is Thinking, and Milton Glaser: Posters.

Milton Glaser’s posters — more than 450 since 1965 — combine conceptual rigor and originality with a mastery of visual language and a high level of artistic expression. Some, like his 1967 Bob Dylan poster for Columbia Records, are icons; others, like his series celebrating “I Love New York,” evoke his best-known work. Milton Glaser Posters includes them all, with Glaser’s own commentary describing his thought process and inspiration. The book is a delight for the art lover, an education in visual expression, and an entertaining journey through the cultural life of half a century, all rolled into a single compact, intense volume.

About the Author:

Milton Glaser (b. 1929) is America’s most celebrated graphic designer and an articulate spokesman for the ethical practice of design. He opened Milton Glaser, Inc., in 1974, and he continues to produce a prolific amount of work in many fields of design to this day. He has had one-man shows at the Museum of Modern Art and the Georges Pompidou Center, and in 2009 he was the first graphic designer to receive the National Medal of Arts. He lives in New York City with his wife, Shirley.