E. McKnight Kauffer collection

Collection

Identifier: CSC-0115

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Contains 30 dust jackets, 9 original artworks for dust jackets, 2 black and white photographs of the exhibition installation of Kauffer's work at the Bevier Gallery, RIT and 1 announcement from that exhibition, 10 black and white photographs of posters and magazine advertisements for American Airlines, 1 color reproduction of a poster for the New York Subway, and 1 tearsheet of a magazine advertisement for the Container Corporation of America.

Dates

Creation: Majority of material found within 1930 - 1955

Creator

Kauffer, E. McKnight (Edward McKnight), 1890-1954 (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890–1954) was born in Great Falls, Montana, though he became a major figure in British advertising art between the wars. He attended evening classes in painting at the Mark Hopkins Institute, San Francisco from 1911–1913, and spent six months at the Chicago Art Institute (1913).

He went to Paris to study painting and at the outbreak of World War I, he moved to London. In 1915, he received his first poster commission from Frank Pick of the London Underground. He designed over 140 posters for the London Underground and many others for such clients as Shell, British Petroleum, and Eastman and Sons. Kauffer returned to the United States in 1940 where he produced several posters for a variety of clients including American Airlines (1947–48) and the New York Subway Advertising Co. Inc. (1949) and the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, Random House as well as several others.

Extent

5 Linear Feet (1 flat box, 1 flat file folder, 1 framed poster; Collection materials are stored in the Cary Collection Annex, range 6b (box 1) with oversize materials stored in the flat file case 2.17. Framed poster is displayed on the first floor of Wallace Library.) ; 21 x 35 x 1 in.; 40 x 50 in. folder; frame