SEVEN DECADES OF DESIGN
Wahneta T. Robinson [Introduction], John Neuhart [Designer]
Wahneta T. Robinson [Introduction], John Neuhart [Designer]: SEVEN DECADES OF DESIGN. Long Beach, CA: Long Beach Museum of Art with the California Arts Commission, [1967]. Slim quarto. Perfect bound and sewn printed wrappers. [40] pp. 27 black and white photographs. Time line fold out. Multiple paper stocks. Exhibition catalog of 64 items. period correct catalog design by Eames Office veteran John Neuhart. ‘Compliments of Long Beach Museum of Art’ card laid in. Noted former owner signature to title page, otherwise a fine copy. Rare.
7.5 x 10 softcover book with 40 pages and fully illustrated with 27 black and white photographs. Bound in folded four-panel illustrated timeline utilizing the Eames Office design principles associated with the World of Franklin and Jefferson and Men of Modern Mathematics exhibitions. “A travelling exhibition sponsored by California Arts Commission organized by the Long Beach Museum of Art.”
Includes work and biographies of Alvar Aalto, Harry Bertoia, Osvaldo Borsini, Marcel Breuer, Piergiacomo & Achille Castiglioni, Charles Eames, Preben Fabricius, Greene & Greene, Arne Jacobsen, Jorgen Kastholm, Poul Kjaerholm, Yrjo Kukkapuro, Le Corbusier, Sam Maloof, Bruno Mathsson, Olivier Mourgue, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, Warren Platner, Gerrit Rietveld, David Rowland, Eero Saarinen, Richard Schultz, Thonet, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, Hans J. Wegner, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
John and Marilyn Neuhart worked in the Los Angeles area for fifty-five years as graphic and exhibition designers, and professors. They taught several courses at UCLA, including color theory, painting, graphic design, and typography. John retired as Professor Emeritus from UCLA in 1984 and passed away in 2011.
John worked full time for the Eames Office for four years (1957-1961) and as a freelance designer for 27 years. The Neuharts curated, designed and installed the exhibition, Connections: The Work of Charles and Ray Eames at UCLA in 1976--the largest, most comprehensive exhibition on the work of the Eames Office to date. They are the authors and designers of three seminal books on the office: Eames Design (Abrams, 1989), Eames House (Ernst and Sohn, 1994) and the two volumes comprising The Story of Eames Furniture (Gestalten Verlag, 2010). While Eames Design, co-authored by the Neuharts and Ray Eames, remains the most definitive survey of work of the Eames office, the Neuharts' own more recent Story of Eames Furniture meticulously charts the design process behind the iconic Eames furniture and credits the various designers in the Eames Office who performed the hands-on work.
"My first recollection of John’s work was his collaboration with Charles and Ray Eames on the solar powered do nothing machine which was produced around 1957. I was still a student at UCLA studying Industrial Design and was greatly impressed and inspired by the work of the Eames office. When I taught classes in the design department at UCLA from 1977 to 1986, I was able to observe John at faculty meetings and was often intimidated by his breadth of knowledge about everything, he truly was a walking encyclopedia. John had a number of mannerisms and was quite animated in his conversations and discussions, the most distinguishing being his unfettered laughter which sounded like some kind of exotic bird call. I will miss the presence of John at our design luncheons as he always brought his insight and acute awareness to our discussions around the rotating tables of Chinese delicacies."— Don Chadwick
"I never had John as an instructor while in graduate school in the UCLA Design Department (in the early 1970's), but I can count John Neuhart as a valuable mentor and influence on my life and career. Some of my fondish memories of my time at UCLA were our impromptu lunch gatherings in John's office. John would have so much to say about so many different and interesting topics that, in essence, I was a willing captive. John served as an inspirational member of both my MA and MFA committees. After graduation I stayed in touch with John and on occasion I would bring my wife, Michiko, to John's office in El Segundo. Michiko also took an instant liking to John. On our last visit a couple years ago, John took great pleasure in showing us his amazingly-detailed model he created of the Eames' Venice Office. John's model was terrific, but what really stole the show, was his joy in showing it to us." — Art Durinski
"I met John Neuhart in the early 1970s when he was a faculty advisor to my husband, Morris, while working towards his MFA. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, I was picking up freelance graphic design work here and there. John generously recommended me for a job at the Eames Office-and my world changed. I often worked with him on exhibitions, films and accompanying graphic materials. During my years at the Eames Office and UCLA, where I later taught in the Extension Program, I met extraordinarily talented people I am proud to call my friends to this day-most, if not all of them-John Neuhart fans." — Nancy Zaslavsky
"I met John Neuhart on several occasions. He always struck me as someone that had arrived to earth in a time machine, like the character 'Doc' in Back to the Future. With his genuine curiosity, his bulging bug-eyes, and incredible thirst for knowledge, I always felt like I got smarter (and curiouser) by just standing near him. Last time I saw him, he came to a presentation I gave at SciArc many years ago — Mits Kataoka and Casey Reas were there too. John used to chuckle when he would say to me as a subtle and elegant form of praise, 'I like you John, because you strike me in a nice way ... just like when you find a shiny penny.' Personally, I always felt like knowing John Neuhart was like finding a shiny gold *doubloon*. You will be missed John." — John Maeda
"I met john neuhart when I taught typopgraphy at UCLA for the first time in 1976. He introduced me to David Kindersley at that time. Kindersley was visiting from England and giving some lectures on letter spacing at UCLA. John had brought him in to talk about the system he developed that helped determine the correct amount of letter spacing for type. I didn't know it at the time, but Kindersley was one of the foremost experts in this field — he apprenticed with Eric Gill. At the time I knew nothing of Kindersley and yet 35 years later I am still looking at his contributions. Eventually I learned this was typical of John's instructional technique. He knew I needed to know about this very specialized typographic endeavor and saw to it that i was made aware of the contribution. I am grateful to have known John." — Joe Malloy
"Ever since I entered graduate school at UCLA in June 1968, I felt that John has been watching over my work. He was also one of the three members in my Master’s committee. As a teacher, he tried to expand the possibilities by hinting on parallel ideas. Unfortunately, my limited knowledge in English was a great obstacle in fully understanding his teachings, and therefore it is difficult to say what I learned from him in concrete terms. However, I can truly say that his sincere attitude towards design was very provocative and stimulating. When I returned to UCLA to teach in 1975, it was John who introduced me to Charles and Ray Eames, with whom I was able to develop a long friendship. Around the time of my graduation, John was working on special effects for various successful films, and I remember him advising me to work in the field as well. Although I did not go into that field, it was a turning point in my life as a designer. He was no doubt an important mentor who I respect very much. May his soul rest in peace."— Takenobu Igarashi