Wrongs are occasionally corrected over time. Several years ago when the first comprehensive illustrated biography of one of the most influential and innovative designers of the 20th century, William Addison Dwiggins (1880–1956), was published through a Kickstarter campaign launched by Letterform Archive, you could almost see the scales correcting themselves for this pioneering designer.
The Remarkable W.A. Dwiggins
Dwiggins was a master calligrapher, type designer, illustrator and private press printer, and a pioneer of advertising, magazine and book design. He united the full range of applied arts into a single profession: designer. “Despite this,” notes the book’s author, Bruce Kennett, and publisher, Rob Saunders, “a comprehensive biography of Dwiggins has never been published, and too few contemporary designers and design enthusiasts are familiar with the full scope and remarkable creativity of Dwiggins’ work.”
W. A. Dwiggins: A Life in Design offers an engaging and inspiring overview of the artist’s wide-ranging creative output and lasting impact on the graphic arts. Published as the flagship volume of the Letterform Archive, this book is many things, but most of all it is proof positive that if there is any doubt about the origin theory of graphic design, Dwiggins did more to promote, diversify and integrate the graphic, typographic and printing-arts disciplines than anyone of his generation.
The 2019 PRINT RDA: Enter Now!
Enter the most respected competition in graphic design—now open to both pros and students—for a chance to have your work published and seen by millions, access to industry insiders and more!
Your work is among the best — so why not show it off and gain the professional accolades that will allow you to accelerate your career? Enter now!
