SVA Archives

July 01, 2019

Milton Glaser's Early Book Covers

Milton Glaser's early book covers, done not long after he founded Push Pin Studios with Seymour Chwast, served as a kind of laboratory for the techniques and styles he was exploring in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Book jacket for The Cook with extended Giacometti-like black ink figure with chef's hat on a bright green background.

February 05, 2015

More packaging by Seymour Chwast

More packaging designs from the Pushpin Studios/Seymour Chwast slide collection.

September 27, 2014

Metropolitan Printing in Push Pin Graphic

One regular advertiser in the Push Pin Graphic was Metropolitan Printing.

August 17, 2014

Type cast

Some type-based design from Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast.

July 09, 2014

Master strokes

Seymour Chwast’s intricate composition of his illustrations.

July 02, 2014

Seymour Chwast for Pepsi

Chwast’s can for Diet Pepsi for the Christmas season integrated their 1986-1991 logo into Santa’s spectacles. As you can see in this photo, the rims of the glasses were left unpainted shiny aluminum to highlight the logo—the background behind Santa was also a checkerboard of white and silver. (Click through for full frame.)

April 12, 2014

They might be giants

Icons of culture and folklore are interpreted by the artists of Push Pin.

March 30, 2014

For the pleasure and edification of all

Before Push Pin Studios, before the Push Pin Graphic, there was the Push Pin Almanack.

December 22, 2013

Candies by Seymour Chwast

In the early 1970s, Push Pin Studios produced a line of candies under the name “Pushpinoff Sweets.”

September 14, 2013

Fifteen years of heartache and aggravation

In 1969, the Mead Library of Ideas presented an exhibition of the work of Push Pin Studios, sharing the design and illustration of its many current and former members.

August 12, 2013

Concrete Poetry

Milton Glaser tips his hat to French poet, playwright, and critic Guillaume Apollinaire.

August 04, 2013

Produce as land mass

We recently received a wonderful donation from James McMullan, and while I was looking for a few things to feature in a sneak peek, I came across this illustration he did for Push Pin of Long Island as a potato.

May 14, 2013

107 graphic designers

The most recent addition to the Chermayeff & Geismar Collection is twelve boxes of old and rare art books, ranging from annuals to architecture; Switzerland to Japan. As always, there were plenty of surprises: one was the catalog for an AGI exhibition from 1976, which featured, alongside reproductions of their work, dramatic photos of the designers.

May 05, 2013

Esquire’s Gift Catalog

Push Pin’s nutty and sweet Christmas Gift Catalog for Esquire exemplifies the eclectic spirit of that studio.

April 14, 2013

First Look: Seymour Chwast Collection

We recently received a wonderful donation from illustrator and designer Seymour Chwast. He was a founding partner of Push Pin Studios in 1954, along with Milton Glaser, Edward Sorel and Reynold Ruffins. The studio’s name was changed to the Pushpin Group in 1985 and Chwast remains as its director. Here’s a sampling of the 80 posters we received; future posts will highlight original artwork and other printed materials that offer a comprehensive view of Chwast’s influential career.

April 10, 2013

Push Pin & Pop

Some ephemeral points of comparison between the work of Seymour Chwast and Andy Warhol.

February 20, 2013

Cameo gallery

In 1995, the Cooper Union celebrated the 40th anniversary of Pushpin Studios with an exhibition and special sale of drawings and paintings by the three founders, pictured above: Seymour Chwast, Edward Sorel, and Milton Glaser; along with works by John Alcorn, Sam Antupit, Michael Aron, Vincent Ceci, Paul Davis, George Leavitt, Tim Lewis, Jim McMullan, Reynold Ruffins, Jerold Smokler, Richard Mantel, “and others.” This reminded me of another similar device that captured a group that is also heavily represented by the Archive.