Our previous collection presented posters that were done with “Love”, for no pay. Now I show this collection done for various reasons — and, for money. Assignments had challenges, sometimes very difficult, but I don’t remember any illustrator or graphic designer who didn’t love creative work. There were always many commercial needs for posters — as large as outdoor boards and some even small in size, which had messages worthy to be tacked up on a wall.
The creative talents in the San Francisco Bay Area were well known. The “Rock Posters” identified a new culture in the area. The culture was shown in the “costume” of the day. Levi’s men’s wear changed dramatically. Chris Blum, at Honig-Cooper & Harrington created over 75 Levi’s posters for Levi Strauss & Co from 1967 to 1984, hiring a number of local artists.
1970s, “3 Legged Levi’s,” Artist: Tony Naganuma, Lettering: Tony Naganuma
1971, “Cowboy,” Artist: Charles White III, Lettering: Tony Naganuma
1971, “18 Wheeler Truck,” Artist: Michael Schwab
1974, “Levi’s Shadow,” Artist: Bruce Wolfe
1980, “1980 Olympics-Cycling,” Artist: Nicolas Sidjakov
— — — — — — — — -
My introduction to poster design:
1‑In 1967, as I was still in the Belli Building, this California University Class Reunion poster was assigned to me through ADS Advertising. Apparently someone from the “Class of ‘42” knew someone in the agency and the assignment came to my free-lance studio. The most difficult part of the job was spacing and cementing the individual alumni names framing the artwork.
2 – 1969-This, small and inexpensive flyer/poster was for the night classes that were offered at the deYoung Museum. I was then free-lancing at 680 Beach Street and I would drive to the museum at night and “throw pots on the wheel”!
3‑In 1970, A.Carlisle & Co. asked me to create two layouts for Levi’s. This tied into fashion change at that time. One design was to be chosen for a poster and sales folder. I was hired often to create layouts when several printing houses and art studios were competing with each other.
4- From September 1975 to September 1978, I worked for the San Francisco Ballet.
I learned a lot about this ballet company in those years because I was involved with posters, brochures, direct mail pieces and newspaper ads. By just changing the colors and the type, this Winter/Spring Season poster adapted well for the additional poster for the special guest performances of Valery & Galina Panov.
5- In May of 1979, Ayer / Pritikin & Gibbons asked me to create a simple B&W line illustration of Maiden Lane (their location) to be used on the cover of folders for internal use in that agency. On each of the printed folders, I was instructed to hand-paint only the area of their sign — as I show here (I don’t remember, now, the actual colors). Weeks after I was paid, I stopped by the agency and found that the art had been enlarged — larger than a poster— to the height of their wall in their receptions area!
6- Again I was hired only for a layout, its purpose was to get approval for the elements of a proposed design. For the 1979 poster for the San Francisco Opera, La Gioconda (previously assigned to Bruce Wolfe) I was instructed by Catherine Flanders, at D’Arcy-MacManus & Masius, to create a layout of a carved, stone (marble?) lion with the scene of a “ship on fire” in its mouth. The type was already styled. The SF Opera approved this layout and then Bruce Wolfe created the finished art.
7- Since the early ‘70s, I worked often with “medical agencies” such as Vicom Associates. In 1982 at 901 Battery Street, I was asked to imitate George Montgomery Flagg’s image for their client, IVAC.
8- In 1985, again with Vicom & Associates, I had the chance to create the layout and the finished art for a poster for Cutter Biomedical. Previous to the accepted layout, I presented 30 “thumbnail” sketches at 4”x 5”, as possibilities.
9- Skate America International ’91 The full color art for this poster and B&W version for newspaper ads were for art director, Gail Perry Johnson,
— — — — — — — — — — —
The following is a collection of posters by various artists working in the San Francisco Bay Area.
A- Pacific Northwest, United Airlines, Artist: Stan Galli, Art Director: Eugene Raven, 1958
B- Shipstad & Johnson Ice Follies, Artist: Larry Green. I remember this poster in color, but I could only find this, as shown in the 1964 ADASF Annual Show publication. This poster was a big departure from the usual “ice follies” traditional style. This was art directed by Jack Keeler at Campbell-Ewald, 1964
C- Moby Grape / Jack the Ripper / Big Brother & The Holding Co., Artist: John Lichtenwalner, 1967
D- “The Silent Majority”, Artist: Primo Angeli, 1969
E- Cliff House, Artist: Stephen Haines Hall
F- SF Jazz Festival, Presented by American Airlines, Artist: Ward Schumacher, 1994
Ann