P-M
January 1937
Robert L. Leslie and Percy Seitlin [Editors]
Robert L. Leslie and Percy Seitlin [Editors]: PM [An Intimate Journal For Art Directors, Production Managers, and their Associates]. New York: The Composing Room/P.M. Publishing Co., Volume 3, No. 5: January 1937. Original edition. Slim 12mo. Saddle-stitched photolithographic wraparound printed wrappers. 28 [4] pp. Illustrated articles and advertisements. Color R. L. Leonard folded inset laid in [as issued]. Photolithography cover art by R. L. Leonard. Wrappers lightly worn, but a very good or better copy.
5.5 x 7.75 saddle-stitched digest with 28 [4] pages of articles including R. L. Leonard; Functional Color - by Faber Birren; and A. M. Cassandre and the Poster Art of the Future by Percy Seitlin (with Cassandre Portrait by Herbert Matter). There is also a full-pager Linotype ad designed by Herbert Matter. Also included is a R. L. Leonard 4-page color insert laid in.
The American Union of Decorative Artists and Craftsmen (AUDAC) founded by professionals in 1928 to protect their industrial, decorative and applied arts concepts from piracy, and to exhibit their new work. AUDAC attracted a broad range of artists, designers, architects, commercial organizations, industrial firms and manufacturers. In 1927 Macy's Department Store held a well-attended Exposition of Art in Trade. This featured "modern products," many of them from the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, which was belatedly recognized by the US government as an important "modern movement.”
Immediate public and manufacturer demand for these new "Art Deco" styles was so obvious, and the need so great, that a number of design professionals—architects, package designers and stage designers— focused their creative efforts for the first time on mass-produced products. They claimed the new title of "industrial designer" which had originated in the US Patent Office in 1913 as a synonym for the then-current term "art in industry."
AUDAC was founded at a time when concerted attempts were being made to promote modern American design and decorative arts and was modelled on European precedents such as the Société des Artistes Décorateurs in France. “It is extremely ‘new art’ and some of it too bizarre, but it achieves a certain exciting harmony, and in detail is entertaining to a degree. [Everything is] arranged with an eye to display, a vast piece of consummate window dressing,” reported advertsing pioneer Earnest Elmo Calkins from the pavilions of the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes.
A. M. Cassandre (1901 - 1968) born Adolphe Jean Edouard Mouron and studied at the Ecoles des Beaux Arts in Paris. He produced his first poster Au Bucheron at 22. Cassandre's work was seen as a bridge between the modern fine arts and the commercial arts. Despite his affinity to the fine arts he always believed there should be a separateness between disciplines. The success of his posters probably lies in his philosophy that his posters were meant to be seen by people who do not try to see them. In 1936 he traveled to America to work on several projects. While there he designed several surrealistic covers for Alexey Brodovitch at Harper's Bazaar. In addition, he created for NW Ayers, the classic eye of the Ford billboard and several pieces for the Container Corporation of America. His career as a poster designer ended in 1939 when he changed disciplines and became a stage, set and theatrical designer.
Faber Birren (1900-1988) was an early practitioner in the color industry, establishing his own consulting firm with a specialization in color in 1934. He advised on topics such as product color, environmental safety, and staff morale for clients such as E.I. du Pont de Nemours Company and the United States Coast Guard. Birren also applied his professional knowledge to popular culture products such as stationery or cocktail glasses that emphasized individual color preference.
Birren was a prolific author producing 25 books and scores of articles in a variety of venues from peer-reviewed journals to high-circulation popular magazines. Birren’s very successful career allowed him to leave a permanent legacy of his work in color through the Faber Birren Collection of Books on Color. He donated a core collection of 226 books on historic color theory to the Art+Architecture Library at Yale University in 1971, as well as an endowment that allows for continued growth of the collection. In addition to books, the collection holds textile samples, photographs, paint chips, manuscripts, and more. Birren worked with library staff on the development of the collection from the time of its donation until his death in 1988.
PM magazine was the leading voice of the U. S. Graphic Arts Industry from its inception in 1934 to its end in 1942 (then called AD). As a publication produced by and for professionals, it spotlighted cutting-edge production technology and the highest possible quality reproduction techniques (from engraving to plates). PM and A-D also championed the Modern movement by showcasing work from the vanguard of the European Avant-Garde well before this type of work was known to a wide audience.