PAINTING / DESIGN / TYPOGRAPHY
Hal Zamboni, Eugene Ettenberg [introduction]
Hal Zamboni, Eugene Ettenberg [introduction]: PAINTING / DESIGN / TYPOGRAPHY. New York: The Composing Room/A-D Gallery, 1949. First edition. Slim 12mo. Stapled, letterpressed wrappers. 12 pp. Illustrations. Catalog design and typography by Hal and Al Zamboni. Glossy wrappers lightly rubbed, but a nearly fine copy of an uncommon booklet.
5.5 x 8 saddle-stitched 12 pag exhibition catalog for the A-D Gallery exhibition from March 7 - April 29, 1949. Introduction by Eugene Ettenberg. The exhibit encompassed Zamboni’s advertising and publication designs, animation, exhibition and furniture design. Nice perspective of an early creative agency that approached multidisciplinary work as a marketplace necessity.
Hal Zamboni (1903 – 1994) was born in Spokane, Washington and studied at the Portland School of Art. Zamboni planned on a career in architecture, but he became involved with advertising when he moved to Chicago and found work with Balaban and Katz, the largest theater operator in the Midwest.
Zamboni moved to New York in 1936 and worked as a Promotional Art Director at Fortune and a Display Director for Time, Inc. He also taught advertising and layout at The Publishing and Advertising School. He opened Hal Zamboni Design for Advertising and Industry in 1946. Paul Bacon joined the studio soon thereafter.
Legendary book dust jacket designer Paul Bacon said “Hal Zamboni was not a designer whose avocation was painting, but a painter whose necessary avocation was running a professional design studio. . . he worked every day and would draw what was around him. If that doesn’t define him, then the word ‘artist’ will have to do.”
Erin Malone writes: In 1936, Dr. Robert Leslie, assisted by Hortense Mendel, began showing the work of emigre and young artists in an empty room in The Composing Room offices. Called the A-D Gallery, it was the first place in New York City dedicated to exhibiting the graphic and typographic arts.
The first exhibit as described by Percy Seitlin: "A young man by the name of Herbert Matter had just arrived in this country from Switzerland with a bagful of ski posters and photgraphs of snow covered mountains. Also came camera portraits and various specimens of his typographic work. We decided to let him hang some of his things on the walls and gave him a party... the result was a crowd of almost bargain-basement dimensions, and thirsty too. Everyone was excited by the audacity and skill of Matter's work."
The A-D gallery was one of the only places in New York city for young artists to come into contact with the work of european emigres and soon became a social meeting place for designers to meet each other, as well as prospective clients and employers. Dr. Leslie knew many people in New York and went out of his way to introduce people to each other. The gallery and the magazine became mirrors of each other. Often a feature in the magazine would become a show and vice-versa.