Join us for the opening night of our new exhibition, Visual Memoranda: A Selection of Posters from the IBM Poster Program 1969-1979.  Curators Robert Finkel and Shea Tillman will be there to share their research about this corporate design venture and speak about the designers whose works are on display.

The decades following World War II ushered in an era of unprecedented growth for International Business Machines (IBM), as innovations in electronic data processing and the miniaturization of transistor-based electronics transformed the company into a multibillion-dollar colossus.

During this period, Thomas J. Watson Jr., president of IBM, sought to elevate the company’s image as a forward-thinking, technologically-advanced organization by hiring world-renowned design consultants, including Eliot Noyes, Charles and Ray Eames, and Paul Rand (who designed the instantly recognizable IBM logo and held a remarkable influence over internal staff designers.)

The IBM Poster Program was initiated in the late 1960s by staff designer Ken White, who had studied under Rand at Yale. It was also during this period that Tom Bluhm transferred into the team, having worked as a contract illustrator for IBM in Rochester, Minnesota. Shortly thereafter, Ken’s former colleague John Anderson was also added to the staff.

Website preview here.

This exhibition is open for viewing from June 6 until Thursday, August 1st, 3 p.m. by appointment only. The TDC office is closed on weekends.