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Metropolitan Printing in Push Pin Graphic
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 7.
September 27, 2014

Metropolitan Printing in Push Pin Graphic

Most of the advertisements for Metropolitan Printing in Push Pin Graphic (which were included from 1976 until 1980) were united by a rainbow, or ink separation, motif. In the Graphic’s special advertising arrangement, Chwast wrote and designed the ads in exchange for services. Other advertisers included Phil Haber Typography, Litho Prepsters, and Pioneer-Moss Photoengravers. (Printing and paper companies seemed especially deferential to the designers who did their ads, perhaps because they were also in other cases their clients.)


A printed ad. A cargo truck is in the center and is shown from the front. Some part of the truck is colored with bright hues. The rest of the truck, the background, and the two men driving are monochrome. On top of the truck "METROPOLITAN. Delivers quality Printing" is printed in white bold text.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 7.

A printed ad. An illustration of a simple fancy woman is in the center with a pastel background. She has a hat that has a rainbow stripe design inside her hat and has a rainbow decorative piece on it. She also has a colorful necklace that is made of red, sky blue, green, and light yellow beads.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 7.

A printed ad. A two story house surrounded by bright green trees, shrubs, and grass. The walls of the house are rainbow strips that cover the whole house. Detailed objects such as the windows, doorway, steps, and chimney are monochrome. Above the house "Your Offset Lithography Handled With Care and Precision" is printed with a detailed black text. Below the house "The home of METROPOLITAN" is printed in detailed black text.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 7.

A printed ad. A watercolor illustration of a fancy waiter serving rainbow colored building on a silver plate. Above the building "Serving New York since 1940" is printed in black bold text. The waiter has detailed watercolor stains and has beige skin, he wear a black and white suite and tie. Below the waiter "Quality Color Lithography. METROPOLITAN" is printed in big bold black text.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. An illustration of a chocolate covered rainbow ice-cream popsicle on a lilac-blue gradient background. The chocolate has shine on its corners and the popsicle stick as shadows and wooden texture. On the bottom left "Metropolitan" is printed in very bold black text.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. An illustration of a boy on the streets painting a streak with rainbow-colored paint. The ad has a grainy texture. The paint bucket the boy is holding has a bright shine on it. The boy wears a grey-blue shirt and pants that has little details. The boy's face is detailed with his facial shadows and highlights show by the different skin colored hues. Above the boy "Serving New York Since 1940" printed in bold black text on a blue header. Below that "METROPOLITAN" in big old black text on a green header.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. On the mid-upper left "Process Pork Color Chart Number One" is printed in small black text. Below is a chart of 16, 4 by 4, images of a venn diagram of 3 circles with 3 pig head next to each circle and a black stripe underneath the circles. The colors of the circles and the pigs next to it are, blue, magenta, and yellow. As you go through the chart the image's color gradually gets more saturated. Below the chart "METROPOLITAN" is printed in big bold black text.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. A mixed media illustration of two women clutching onto each other underneath an umbrella next to a fire hydrant. The raindrops are all different colors of the rainbow. The two ladies' coat and umbrella are black with marker streaks. The colorful details on their coat and skirts and the fire hydrant have a pencil texture. On the upper left "METROPOLITAN" is printed in bold black text.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. On the top "Metropolitan" is printed in very big bold black text. Below is a detailed illustration of the top part of the empire state building. The building is 2-Dimensional and curved like a sheet of paper. The building has several colorful shadows behind it with the same form.The building is a light grey-blue while the windows are are different colors of the rainbow.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. "Metropolitan" is printed on the top with white with a grey outline thin text. Below is an illustration of a fancy shoe roller skating with rolls of paint as wheels. the rolls of paint are magenta, black, yellow, and blue. The roller skate leave a streak of different colored stripes on the beige floor.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. A photo of a big crowd of people in black and white. On each person a pair of glasses with bright colored lens are pasted on top. On top in a black-and-white header "Quality color lithography for posters, books, periodicals, reprints. METROPOLITAN" is printed.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

A printed ad. An illustration of a zebra with navy blue, scarlet, dark green, and brown stripes. The background is a light brown that has a grainy texture. Above the zebra "Metropolitan" is printed in think black text.


 
From the Seymour Chwast Collection, Series 6.

This last one shortly predates a much-beloved subway poster for SVA designed by Marvin Mattelson in 1982.


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