Remembering Milton Glaser, an iconic American Graphic Designer
In this short video, I discuss the heavyweight American Graphic Designer, Milton Glaser, who sadly passed away on 26 June 2020. Most famous for his "I 💓NY" slogan, one that was created to help a struggling New York City with tourism, he would have a hand in many other important works such as a poster for Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits and the logo and identity for Brooklyn Brewery.
Special shoutout to a member of the YouTube community that noticed the TYPO in the main title of this video, so, so annoying - but I've decided to leave it there as a reminder to PROOF READ YOUR WORK BEFORE SHARING! 😉
Links:
New York Christmas 1976 - • New York Christmas 1976 - Super 8mm
Milton Glaser's SVA: A Legacy of Graphic Design - • Milton Glaser's SVA: A Legacy of Graphic D...
Milton Glaser Draws a Sun Logo - • Milton Glaser draws a sun logo
Milton Glaser and Debbie Millman for Adobe Creative Magazine - • Milton Glaser and Debbie Millman for Adobe...
The Happy Accident of the 'I Love New York' Logo - • The Happy Accident Of The 'I Love New York...
Milton Glaser To Inform and Delight - • Video
Produced by: Chris Kernaghan
Music by: Pussycat Music
Support: Jill Kernaghan
You might not know who #MiltonGlaser is, but there’s a good chance you’re familiar with his extensive design work spanning decades. His most famous, I Love New York, was a slogan released in 1977 to boost tourism in a then crime ridden New York City. It’s still one of the most widely recognised piece of graphic work to this day.
A talented artist from a young age, Glaser would have many requests from his peers to draw whatever they requested. The most popular sketches requested, according to Glaser, were nude drawing of ladies.
A graduate of Cooper Union in NYC, it didn’t take very long for Glaser to produce work that would be revered by peers, academics and the public alike. He, along with a number of other creatives founded Push Pin Studios in 1954, a prominent and guiding studio which would reshape the foundations of graphic design.
In 1966, in what was one of his first posters, he created a poster for Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits. A psychedelic depiction of Dylan, with his colourful swirly hair, set against of Dylan’s silhouette profile, side-on. The bottom of the poster simply reads, “DYLAN”. A piece that reflects the psychedelic nature of the 1960s, but enduring, 54 years later.
Fast-forward to 1974, Glaser would found his own design studio. Milton Glaser Inc. From here, he would go on to create the legendary I Love New York slogan, as well as many posters, publications and architectural designs and probably my favourite, the Brooklyn Brewery company logo and identity. Sensing that this would be a successful venture, Glaser would request no flat fee, but instead opt to be offered shares with the company.
Whilst there’s a plethora of work that we can reference from Glasers long and colourful career, none are quite as memorable or impactful, as I Love New York. Rather than the product of intense work over a number of months, Glaser came up with the idea of the slogan in the back of a taxi, on the back of an envelope with a red crayon. Inspiration, that a-ha moment, can seemingly strike anywhere it seems.
Assuming this particular piece would only be used for a couple of months at most, Glaser would have no idea just how popular this piece of work would become in the minds of New York citizens, but those around the world aspiring to one day visit the city.
After the 911 attacks, he would go to make a slight modification to the iconic symbol for NYC. He would add the words, “More than ever” and add a small, blacked out burned area to the bottom left of the heart.
Glaser was a heavyweight in the design industry, respected and influential to established peers and those fresh out of art college. Continuing to work within the industry up until the age of 91, Glaser passed away on the day of his birthday, in 2020.
He may have moved on, but his legacy certainly hasn’t.
“We are all born with genius. It's like our fairy godmother. But what happens in life is that we stop listening to our inner voices, and we no longer have access to this extraordinary ability to create poetry.”
― Milton Glaser