Milton Glaser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Milton Glaser
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Glaser in 2003
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| Born | June 26, 1929 New York City, NY, U.S.
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| Died | June 26, 2020 (aged 91) New York City, NY, U.S.
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| Known for | I Love New York logo |
| Spouse(s) |
Shirley Girton
(m. 1957) |
| Awards | Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award Lifetime Achievement, 2004 National Medal of Arts, 2009 |
Milton Glaser (June 26, 1929 – June 26, 2020) was a famous American graphic designer. He created many well-known designs. These include the iconic I Love New York logo, a famous poster for musician Bob Dylan from 1966, and logos for companies like DC Comics and Brooklyn Brewery.
In 1954, he helped start a design company called Push Pin Studios. He also co-founded New York magazine with Clay Felker. Later, he started his own design firm, Milton Glaser, Inc. His art has been shown in museums all over the world. He designed many posters and publications during his long career. Glaser received many awards, including the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2009. He was the first graphic designer to get this special award.
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About Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser was born in The Bronx, New York City. His parents, Eugene and Eleanor, were immigrants from Hungary. They lived in the South Bronx. His father owned a dry-cleaning shop. Glaser loved drawing from a young age. He took art classes before going to the High School of Music & Art in Manhattan.
After finishing school at the Cooper Union in New York City, Glaser and his friends Reynold Ruffins, Seymour Chwast, and Edward Sorel started Push Pin Studios in 1954. Glaser joined them after returning from Italy. Their studio became very famous in the world of graphic design. They liked to use old art styles in new and fresh ways. Glaser and Seymour Chwast led Push Pin Studios for twenty years.
In 1974, Glaser started his own design company, Milton Glaser Inc. He left Push Pin Studios the next year. In 1983, he teamed up with Walter Bernard to create WBMG. This company designed more than 50 magazines and newspapers around the world.
Over his career, Glaser designed over 400 posters. He used ideas from early 20th-century artists to create his unique style. His art often had fun, colorful designs with bold lines. His work is shown in famous museums like the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He also had his own art shows in Paris and New York City.
A movie about Milton Glaser called To Inform and Delight: The World of Milton Glaser was made in 2008.
Personal Life
Milton Glaser was the uncle of Gabby Glaser, who is in the band Luscious Jackson. He passed away in New York City on his 91st birthday. He died from a stroke and kidney failure.
Famous Designs
Bob Dylan Poster
In 1966, Glaser designed a poster for the album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits. It was one of his first big posters. The poster shows a side view of Dylan's face with colorful, swirling hair. The word "Dylan" is written at the bottom in a special font Glaser created called Baby Teeth.
Glaser was inspired by an artist named Marcel Duchamp and a style called Art Nouveau. Millions of these posters were printed and given away. Today, they are valuable collector's items.
I Love New York Logo
One of Glaser's most famous designs is the I Love New York logo. In the mid-1970s, New York City was facing tough times. The state wanted to encourage more people to visit. In 1977, they hired Milton Glaser to create a logo to help tourism.
Glaser came up with the idea while riding in a taxi. The logo has a capital "I" and a red heart, placed above the letters "NY". These letters stand for New York. The design means "I Love New York." He was inspired by Robert Indiana's famous LOVE design. Glaser loved New York so much that he gave his design to the city for free. He hoped it would become a symbol for everyone.
This logo now earns New York state millions of dollars each year. It has become a very popular symbol. You can see it on many items like T-shirts and coffee cups. Many other designers have been inspired by it to create similar logos.
After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the logo became even more meaningful. It helped bring people together. Glaser designed a new version that said, "I Love New York More Than Ever." The red heart in this version had a small burned area to remember the attack on the World Trade Center site.
New York Magazine
In 1968, Glaser and Clay Felker started New York magazine. The magazine focused on what was happening in New York City. It aimed to be on the side of its readers.
One popular part of the magazine was "The Underground Gourmet." This section wrote about affordable restaurants in New York. Glaser wrote this column for seven years with Jerome Snyder. New York magazine became a model for other city magazines around the world. Glaser left the magazine in 1977.
Typography
In 1970, Glaser designed his own typeface called Glaser Stencil. A typeface is a set of letters, numbers, and symbols that have a specific design. His design was inspired by other simple, geometric fonts.
Fonts Designed by Glaser
- Art Decko
- Babycurls
- Babyfat (1964)
- Babyteeth (1966)
- Eightway (1964), with George Leavitt
- Futura Stencil (1970)
- Glazer Stencil (1970)
- Houdini (1969)
- Rainbow! (1987)
- Stencil Select (1970)
Awards and Honors
In 2004, Glaser won a National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement. This award recognized his important and lasting contributions to design.
In 2009, President Barack Obama gave him the National Medal of Arts at the White House. Glaser was the first graphic designer to receive this high honor.
Images for kids
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Brooklyn Brewery logo
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DC Comics logo, 1977–2005
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LaGuardia High School logo
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Stony Brook University logo
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Stony Brook Southampton logo
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See also
- Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz, a 1973 album by South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela—an example of his coverworks
