Walter Allner collection
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
- Allner, W. H. (Walter H.) (Person)
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.
Subject
- Fortune (Organization)
- International Business Machines Corporation (Organization)
- American Cancer Society (Organization)
- 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