Louis Danziger papers

American graphic designer, born and educated in New York City. Danziger studied at the Federal Art Project classes, NY 1938-41 and served in the US Army through 1945. Following his military service, he studied graphics under Alvin Lustig (Art Center School of Design, LA 1947-48) and magazine design under Alexey Brodovitch (New School for Social Research, NY 1948.) In the same year, he collaborated with Brodovitch in designing layouts for Esquire magazine.

In 1949, Danziger established an independent freelance graphic design business in Los Angeles. He enjoyed commercial success maintaining long-term contracts with: Container Corporation of America, The Dreyfus Company, Gelvatex, Vivitar, Clinton Laboratories, Atlantic Richfield Company and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.

Danziger credits Lustig, Brodovitch and the German journal of the 1920-30's, Gebrauchsgraphik as his formative influences. His work is best known for its characteristic elegance, a term he defined as: "the accomplishment of a great deal with a minimum of means." Throughout his career he preferred to do fewer projects and retain control over production of each piece. With few exceptions, his work incorporates his own photography.

Danziger taught at the Los Angeles Art Institute, 1963-72 and at California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, where he served as Director of Graphic Design, 1972-88.