archive: vignelli

Featuring artifacts from the Massimo and Lella Vignelli papers as they are unpacked and processed at the Vignelli Center for Design Studies.

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It’s the early 1970s. You need calendars for your office.  Take a look at these Knoll Vignelli Accessories. You have two sizes of desk pads with quarterly calendars, a notepad, and a file system for keeping important names, numbers and addresses.

You could also choose the minimalist wall Knoll calendar with large tight numerals for the day with the day of week and month and year across the bottom. Fun fact: this Knoll calendar was the precursor to Vignelli’s 365 perpetual calendar which was even more minimal with just the large number for the date and nothing else.

Scroll through to see the original pricelist page for Vignelli Accessories as well as some images from a Knoll brochure for Stephens Landscape Systems featuring the calendars in the photo shoot.

Here in the archives, we have the 12” desk pad and its original packaging and 1971, 1972 and 1973 versions of the Knoll wall calendar.

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It’s #Manualsmonday! On Mondays we share an excerpt from a graphic standards manual in the archives.

Today’s manual is for Central Bank founded in Jefferson City, Missouri, USA. The correspondence in this manual is dated 1983, implying this is when the manual was created.

According to the Central Bank’s website:

“Dogwood trees symbolize durability and the ability to withstand various challenges in life and thrives under the cover of larger and taller trees, just like our company and the large national banks. In 1987, Central Bank adopted the flower of this tree as a symbol to represent our brand. Being strongly rooted, withstanding the test of time, and blooming endless possibilities.”

From the manual:

“Green, the color of both money and leaves, is the natural choice to reinforce the image of a bank whose symbol is a dogwood blossom.”

“Future Bold is the typeface that has been chosen for all logotypes. The typeface is strong yet friendly, and its roundness compliments the flower symbol.”

This logo and logotype (and the color green) are still in use today!

Scroll through to see the manual, mockups for signage pasted to actual photo prints, a pasteup for the bank directory, and even a hat.

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While working at Unimark International in the late 1960s, Lella and Massimo Vignelli designed a number of product packaging for Colton, a subsidiary of Gillette. Take a look at Nuts & Bolts, a line of toiletries aimed at a masculine audience. With a nod to pop art, large scale bright orange plastic nuts and bolts are part packaging and part object.

In the archives, the Vignellis saved an example of a combo pack in its original box which includes after shave lotion, deodorant, and after shave conditioner. This set also has an accordion folded brochure describing all the products.

Scroll through to read the brochure for yourself and its creatively descriptive language!

“A bold new twist in men’s products to prepare you for anything. (After all you never know what you might fall into.)

Nuts & Bolts cologne

A vigorous cologne in a man-sized orange bolt. Twist off the cap and turn on the power. A long-lasting, woodsy fragrance that’s a real confidence builder.

Nuts & Bolts after shave lotion

This bolt makes your shave a lusty one. The same zesty fragrance as the cologne invigorates your skin when it needs bracing up. Make it big with a splash of boldness from this brisk new aftershave. 4-ounces.

Nuts & Bolts after shave conditioner

If your skin reacts to the sting of alcohol after you shave, try working with this bolt. No alcohol bite. A greaseless, non-sticky cream that helps relieve dry and chapped skin conditions. 4-ounces.

Nuts & Bolts deodorant stick

A manly deodorant stick with strong arm ingredients to fight off strong arm bacteria. A bolt that really works as a deodorant. Non-alcoholic, it doesn’t sting or bite. Potent to help give long lasting protection. 3.4-ounces.

Nuts & bolts soap set

Two nut-shaped soaps, each with the same rousing scent. Soap up with either bar. Each contains special ingredients to help prevent bacteria odor.”

From our Unimark International records, we have tons of vintage imagery of the product and a two-sided ad / order form which describes the then new line:

“A New Twist in Men’s grooming

It’s about time someone came up with a line of grooming products for the rugged individualist.

Now there’s “NUTS AND BOLTS”. Five new super-virile products which come in man-sized orange nuts and bolts containers. There’s just about every grooming aid a man needs to make him feel like a man. A vigorous Cologne…a zesty After Shave…a biteless After Shave Conditioner…a strong-arm Deodorant Stick…and a couple of rousing nut shaped soaps that help prevent bacteria odor.”

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It’s #Manualsmonday!

On Mondays we share an excerpt from a graphic standards manual in the archives.

It’s also #NationalPencilDay!

So we're sharing the pencil sketches by Massimo Vignelli for the graphics standards manual Italian appliance maker Zanussi from the 1970s.

While we do not have the actual manual in the archives, we do have sketches, pasteups, presentation boards and other documentation for the manual and graphic identity. We also have several examples of stationery, business cards, and brochures for Zanussi.

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Happy birthday to Mies van der Rohe!

In 1967, Robert Cadwallader, the newly hired marketing manager, invited Massimo Vignelli to create a new corporate identity for Knoll. Using a clearly defined grid system and Helvetica as the logo typeface, he gave Knoll a new recognizable graphic identity. To celebrate Mies van der Rohe’s birthday, here are some Knoll artifacts designed by Massimo featuring Mies van der Rohe’s designs.

Enjoy this recently uncovered sketch by Massimo Vignelli for Knoll catalog sheets for Mies van der Rohe’s furniture. Scroll through to see the before- and after-Vignelli designs of the actual catalog pages. Pre-Vignelli the pages were blank on the reverse side, after-Vignelli they feature a full bleed image often depicting the manufacturing process.

“While in Chicago we met Mies van der Rohe, my greatest mentor and my favorite architect.” – Massimo Vignelli

Lella Vignelli was interviewed for the Decorative Arts Fall-Winter 2000-2001 issue and mentioned meeting Mies van der Rohe while living in Chicago in the 1960s:

“LV: In Chicago we went to see Dick Barringer (a good architect and a friend of my brother), who felt we were not having a “real American” experience living in Newburyport. He was teaching at IIT [Illinois Institute of Technology] and offered me some work and got Massimo a Moholy-Nagy grant at IIT and a design job.

It was very lively there. Mies van der Rohe was there. We had dinner with him three times. … I also remember remarking that it was difficult to operate the windows in the building he had designed at 599 Lakeshore Drive. “Too bad,” he said. “I’m not trying to solve all the problems.”

PK: But you felt confident enough to ask?

LV: Yes. He was very nice.”

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In the 1990s, Lella Vignelli designed a series of dolls called “Today’s Girl, Tomorrow’s Woman.” Ultimately, these dolls were never produced.  

The archives includes: correspondence, Lella’s sketches, doll-sized clothing patterns, photographs of the prototypes and packaging, conceptual graphics, and most of the actual doll prototypes and packaging.

In 1995, on the suggestion of Harry Kislevitz of Colorforms, Lella Vignelli wrote to Pleasant Rowland of American Girl Doll about the project:

“In collaboration with Mr. Harry Kislevitz, inventor of Colorforms and founder of the company that bears the same name, we have created a series of dolls that are different in concept and form from any doll on the market. The idea stemmed from the observation that there is a need for an alternative teenage figure doll to Barbie. A doll that is more true to life in its physical attributes, clothing, and overall appearance. … Our target is to appeal to an audience that is looking for something more genuine, more constructive, an audience that is concerned with the significance of a toy in a girl’s life. However, the purpose is not merely to be serious and politically correct. The dolls are primarily a toy for the child to enjoy: they are beautifully formed, the accessories are colorful, varied and well made, and will be fun to play with.”

Sample dolls were made for these professions:

Chef

Country Singer

President

Judge

Artist

Airline Pilot

Astronaut

Photographer

Jockey

Racer

Doctor

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Yesterday we shared some excerpts from the graphic standards manual for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Vignelli Associates designed a comprehensive program for all graphics and signage, which included one “monumental” sign!

At almost 25 feet wide and 22 feet and 2 inches tall, this huge typographic sculpture was no small task to construct. Architect Jose Rafael Moneo designed the Aubrey Jones Beck building expansion at the museum, which opened in 2000, and suggested this massive sign to Vignelli.

Scroll through the images to see Massimo Vignelli’s early sketches, various views of the actual sign, measured drawings, and even some images of the making of these huge letter forms!

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It’s Manuals Monday!Manuals Monday is back!

On Mondays we feature an excerpt from a graphics standards manual from the archives. 

Today’s manual is for the Museum of Fine Art, Houston (MFAH) from 1999. 

Vignelli Associates created a new graphic program and signage for the MFAH including the “monumental sign.” Stay tuned for more about the design of this enormous typographic sculpture. 

From vignelli.com, the former Vignelli Associates website: “This program encompassed every printed piece, from logo to stationery, invitations to publications, and all signage, from building identification to Donors’ Wall garage to restaurant. The Building sign, of monumental scale, is a special design requested by the architect.” 

Massimo & Lella Vignelli (Principals in Charge), Peter Vetter, Mischa Leiner, Yoshiki Waterhouse, Christian Altmann, and Yuji Yamazaki were the design team from Vignelli Associates. 

Back in 2018, we shared some an earlier draft for the MFAH graphic standards manual: https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/179322534672/vignelli-manualsmonday-mfah 

As always, if you know more about this project or worked on this project, we would love to hear from you!

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Important Notice The Vignelli Center for Design Studies will be temporarily closed for infrastructure improvements beginning 17 February 2025. Access to the galleries and physical archives is closed and scheduled open houses are cancelled for the duration of the project; but the Vignelli Design Conversations lectures remain as scheduled. Anticipated completion of the project is May 2025. But never fear! We'll still share archives content and updates even if our spaces are closed. Stay tuned!

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In 1971, Massimo and Lella Vignelli designed a modular foam seating system but it was never produced. The system consisted of circular shapes that nested together to form an infinite number of seating configurations. Each piece would be made of foam with fabric coverings with zippers to attach everything together so it would stay put. The fabric cover would be removeable for cleaning.

This was around the same time the Vignellis were designing showrooms and exhibitions for Knoll who had acquired the Gavina Collection which included a foam modular seating system by Sebastian Matta. Although his system was much more organic in shape, perhaps they were inspired to give it a try with more geometric shapes?

In the archive we have the painted wooden models of the seating, vintage images, drawings and some correspondence.

Scroll through to see more about this conceptual Vignelli-designed seating system and also the Matta foam seating system on display in the Vignelli designed Knoll Au Louvre exhibition (1972) and the Knoll Gavina Group showroom (1968). Unfortunately, it was never made but we would have love to give it a try!

Images: 1-2. Vintage 35mm slide of model 3. rough sketch of seating components 4. measured drawing of seating components 5.-6. Drawings of possible seating configurations 7. snapshot of model in archives 8. Knoll correspondence regarding making prototypes 9. clipping of Massimo and Lella Vignelli in Gavina showroom with Matta modular seating 10. vintage 35mm slide of Matta seating at Knoll Au Louvre exhibition

#Vignelli #DesignArchives #nevermade #DesignHistory #Knoll #FurnitureDesign #1970s #modular #geometry

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Now you have another chance to own the Kyoto dishware designed by Massimo and Lella Vignelli AND support the Vignelli Center!

Auction on 10/24/2024!

Thanks to our colleagues at Shop One - RIT Global Village for organizing the sale.

" In 2010, Lella and Massimo Vignelli donated their professional archive to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York to establish the Vignelli Center for Design Studies. Included in their donation was this collection of Kyoto dishware, the last available stock known. The Vignelli’s requested that the dishware be sold to support the Vignelli Center for Design Studies visiting designer series and to further the commitment to excellence in design education.

Lot is comprised of eight large red plates, eight large white plates, eight large ivory plates, four red salad bowls, two white salad bowls, six ivory salad bowls, twenty-four ivory medium plates, eight red small plates, eight white small plates, eight ivory small plates, twelve red cups, twelve red sauces, twelve white cups, and twelve white saucers; 132 pieces total. Embossed manufacturer's mark to underside of each element ‘Design by Lella & Massimo Vignelli Casigliani 1979’. Sold with original packaging.

provenance: The Artist | Gift from the previous in 2010, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY”

335: LELLA AND MASSIMO VIGNELLI, Early Kyoto dinnerware | Wright20.com

LELLA AND MASSIMO VIGNELLI, Early Kyoto dinnerware | Wright20.com

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It’s Manuals Monday! Manuals Monday is back! On Mondays we feature an excerpt from a graphics standards manual from the archives.

Today’s manual is for the Urban Land Institute from 1992.

Back in 2017 we shared some brochures for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and recently we uncovered these Graphics Guidelines in the archives.  

https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/168223666607/vignelli-uli-brochures

According to the proposal from Vignelli Associates, ULI is the “preeminent educational and research organization serving the real estate industry.” In 1992, Vignelli Associates proposed creating a membership kit and a promotional brochure which could later be applied to an institution-wide graphic identity.

As always, if you know more about this project or worked on this project, we would love to hear from you!

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Abe Hirschfeld, who made a fortune building parking garages, turned a parking garage at 330 East 61st Street into an exclusive fitness club in the 1980s.

In 1979, Vignelli Associates designed a logo, brochure, stationery, and membership materials for what their own brochure deemed “a country club in the heart of the city”

“A unique sporting club offering tennis, squash and racquetball”

“No sport and racquet facility like exists anywhere.”

By 1984, the club was the place to be seen with many celebrity sightings [for example, Cher, Diana Ross, Liza Minelli, Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Ashford and Simpson, Brooke Shields]

Quotes from a 1984 NY Times article about the health club’s social scene:

''The Vertical Club is today's Studio 54''

“People join other health clubs to get in shape before they join here''

“Pure Fellini''

“It is better socially than a singles bar because it's not so obvious”'

Here is what the VC brochure promised:

“Court time at your convenience is always assured, because Vertical Club membership is strictly limited. … The congeniality and prestige of the club us maintained by our Admissions Committee, which interviews and approves all applicants.”

Staff are ready “to make each visit to the Vertical Club a delightful leisure experience.”

Courts

“Courts are stacked vertically atop one another. Each level of the vertical club is equivalent to four stories; the building is the height of a 20-story structure.”

“Architect Eugene Ho has created tennis “al fresco” through open, retractable siding on the courts.”

Courtside Restaurant and Bar

“The glass-walled, elevated Courtside Restaurant overlooks our two exhibition tennis courts and glass-sided racquetball court.”

Graphics

“Vignelli Associates are designers of tremendous scope.”

Fee schedule

“Resident + spouse Initiation fee $4000 plus $125/mo”

And speaking of the 1980s, join us next week for our next Open Houses which will highlight artifacts from the archives from the 1980s. Check out our events page on our website for more details [link in bio]

9/25-9/26, 2024 10am-4pm

And in the spring with a completely different displays of 1980s artifact!

3/26-3/27, 2025 10am-4pm

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I spy… Vignelli!

Summer is always construction season, but we don’t always have Vignelli-designed shipping containers on campus.

“I rarely traveled to any city around the world without seeing one of the containers.” p. 189 “Lella and Massimo Vignelli: Design is One”

From 1992-1998 Vignelli Associates designed the corporate identity for British company Sea Containers (aka Seaco) and their various subsidiaries. In 1995, Seaco was considering a merger with Genstar (the marine container leasing subsidiary of General Electric.)

In a letter to Massimo Vignelli from Seaco says:

“It seems to me the new “GenSeaCo” livery should incorporate some elements of our “Seaco” livery and some elements of the Genstar livery while at the same time saying that GenSeaCo is not wither Sea Containers or General Electric, but instead has its own place in the market.”

In the archives, the Vignellis’ saved some of the process work for the Seaco corporate identity including some ideas that were never implemented.

Images:

1. Snapshot by Archivist Jennifer Whitlock of shipping container with GESeaco logo on construction site on Rochester Institute of Technology campus, 2024

2. page 188 from book “Lella and Massimo Vignelli: Design is One” showing Seaco logo and image of stacked shipping container

3. Master art for Seaco logo

4. pencil sketch of container with Seaco logo

5. sketches for various logo for Seaco and their subsidiaries

6. Color snapshots of shipping containers used to visually test SeaCo logo at full scale with notes

7. SeaCo graphic standards manual draft with sketches and corrections, 1998

8. various iterations of early version logo for Genstar and Seaco merger

9. photocopy of standards manual showing two lengths of shipping container with GESeaco logo

10. vintage color transparency of two trucks hauling GESeaco shipping containers

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Please join us for our next Open Houses! March 20-21, 2024 10am-4pm.

The NYC subway map that never was. Or at least it was never implemented.

The NYC Subway graphics are some of the most requested artifacts from the Vignelli archives. We acquired this unique “verbal map” aka “The Directory” aka the “How to get there” map in 2022. Our archivist put it on display for the first time in 50 years at our Open Houses in September 2022!

 “The Verbal Map described how to reach a destination, which train to get, where to change, and when to get out.” – Massimo Vignelli [comment on Michael Bierut’s essay “Mr. Vignelli Map” for Design Observer]

Printed on very glossy paper in full color, this map is large like the station size maps. Printed in two parts [top and bottom] each half measuring 29.5” x 47.5”.

In the Graphic Standards Manual on Page 3 “Diagram of Basic Sign Distribution” it describes the various maps to be installed:

Maps: System maps (implemented, the famous one),

neighborhood map (not implemented),

‘How to get there’ map (not implemented but we have the prototype!)

From the Graphics Standards Manual on page 75, “The Directory”:

“The directory is designed to help a passenger find his “Destination” and “How to get there” quickly and easily. Each station will have its own directory listing all other station alphabetically and numerically. Each station will be followed by the color disc designating he trains that stop there. If there is no direct train, transfer information will follow the station name. This directory will be placed at all important points in the subways station both inside and outside the turnstiles.”

We also have the Dekalb Av Signage Study “analyzed and completed by Joan Charysyn and Virginia Macintosh” for Unimark International in 1971 which shows a mockup of the various maps and states “A directory and three maps will eventually be in use in all subway stations.”

Be sure to join us for our next Open Houses and see what other surprises you can discover! Learn more opn our events page: https://www.rit.edu/events/vignelli-center-spring-open-house

Image descriptions:

Detail of “verbal map” aka “The Directory” aka the “How to get there” map

image of entire map

Video clip of map

Photo of Open Houses with logo

vintage 35mm slide of detail of “verbal map”

NYCTA Graphics Standards Manual pg. 75 “The Directory”

NYCTA Graphics Standards Manual pg. 75 “The Directory”

Slideshow of Dekalb St study: coversheet, Directory from Grand Central, System Map, Neighborhood map, and 5 Boroughs map

Vintage 35mm slide of 57th Street station signage

Vintage 35mm slides of 57th Street station signage

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Happy International Women’s Day!

In 1988, Japanese magazine Idea published a special issue “Women Designers of America.”  43 women are featured including Vignelli Associates’ own Lella Vignelli and Rebecca Rose.

This 1985 Annual Report for Girls Clubs of America, designed by Rebecca Rose, warning girls not to dream about finding a wealthy husband to take care of them.

Text: “When I grow up a rich man will fall in love with me and marry me and take care of me.” At Girls Clubs, girls learn that fantasies don’t come true except in fairy tales.

Scroll through to see more of this Idea Special Issue including the table of contents which lists all 43 designers featured in the issue. 

“The intent is to collect and present phenomena involving how and what activities women designers are engaged in the upheaval of the American society of today. Therefore, designers presented here had to be artists having the caliber in one sense or another approved by the severe eyes of the present American society.”

– from the intro essay by Midori Imatake “A Torrent of Women Designers of America”

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Please join us for our next Open Houses! March 20-21, 2024 10am-4pm.

Can a mug handle be transformed into a door handle? In 1992, Massimo Vignelli gave it a try! He took the iconic Heller mug handle and changed the scale, color, and material to do just that. Our archivist dug deep in the archives to put this project on display for November 2022 Open Houses.

Forms + Surfaces (a manufacturer of walls, ceilings, doors and site furniture) invited Vignelli along with architects Richard Meier and William Pederson to create new door pulls for NEOCON in June 1992.

It is not clear if this was ever produced (nor if Meier’s or Pederson’s versions were either for that matter). Prototypes, sketches, and a couple news articles survive in the archives. We only have a bit of documentation for the project, so we would love to hear from you if you know anything else about the project. Be sure to join us for our next Open Houses and see what other surprises she uncovers!

https://www.rit.edu/events/vignelli-center-spring-open-house