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Walter Allner collection

 Collection — Drawer: 3.3
Identifier: CSC-0083

Scope and Contents

The Walter Allner collection consists of twelve posters and magazine covers created by the graphic designer Walter Allner. The collection also contains articles and writings by Mr. Allner describing his design process. He is most noted for his tenure as Art Director at Fortune magazine from 1962 to 1974. While at Fortune he personally created 79 covers for Fortune magazine. He was known for his innovative use of computers in his design and is recognized as the designer of the first computer-generated cover of a national magazine for the annual Fortune 500 issue.

Dates

  • Creation: 1951-1988

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

Walter Allner (1909 – 2006) noted designer, typographer and painter was trained at the Bauhaus under Josef Albers, Vasily Kandisky and Joost Schmidt. He also worked for a short time with Otto Neurath, inventor of the Isoype, at the Österreichisches Gesellschafts- und Wirtschaftsmuseum in Vienna. He also worked briefly with Piet Zwart, the influential Dutch typographer. He worked for Graphis Paris from 1945 to 1948 and emigrated to the United States in 1949 where he worked for several corporate clients, including Johnson and Johnson (1954-1955) and RCA Records, (1965-1967) as well as the American Cancer Society, I.T.T. and I.B.M. He is most noted for his tenure as Art Director at Fortune magazine from 1962 to 1974. He personally created 79 covers for Fortune magazine and was known for his innovative use of computers in his design. He is recognized as the designer of the first computer-generated cover of a national magazine for the annual Fortune 500 issue. "Long before the personal computer revolutionized the methods used to produce graphic design, Mr. Allner predicted the integration of aesthetics and advanced technology, and so worked directly with computer engineers whenever he could." (Heller). Allner left Fortune magazine in 1974 and taught and lectured and as Steven Heller writes, his motto was "Raise the aesthetic standard - the public is more perceptive than you think."

Extent

3 Linear Feet (map drawer)

Language

English

Overview

The Walter Allner collection contains poster and magazine covers designed by Allner as well as articles detailing his design process. He is best known for his work at Fortune magazine and he is recognized as the designer of the first computer-generated cover of a national magazine.

Physical Location

Graphic Design Archives, Cary Collection Annex

Other Finding Aids

This collection is currently in process. Please contact Cary Graphic Design Archives for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated by Walter Allner in 1989. Accession number(s): 1989:001

Processing Information

Finding aid encoded by Lisa Witt, September 2015.

Title
Walter Allner collection
Subtitle
Cary Graphic Design Archives
Author
Lisa Witt
Date
23 September 2015
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection Repository

Contact:
Rochester NY 14623 US
(585) 475-2408