George Salter Papers, 1920-1980
General International Standard for Archival Description
Mortimer Rare Book Room Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Eric Cartier. 2003-08-07
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
George Salter Papers
Creation of George Salter Papers
Time of Creation of George Salter Papers
Salter, George, 1897-1967
Biographical History for: George Salter Papers
Biographical Note George Salter (1897-1967), book designer and calligrapher was born in Bremen, Germany, 5 October 1897, of Protestant Jewish origin. His father Norbert Salter, born in Austria, was a conservator of music, a cellist and an impresario. His mother, Stefanie Klein, born in Hungary, was an opera singer. George Salter graduated from the Abitur, Helmholtz Gymnasium, in 1916, and did his military service for the German Army in 1917-1918. The following year he studied privately with Ewald Dülberg, and from 1919 to 1924, he studied graphic arts at the School of Arts and Crafts in Berlin with Harold Bengen. In 1921-1922, Salter worked with theater workshops of the Prussian State Theater with Willy Jaeckel and Klaus Richter. From 1922 to 1924 he worked first as an assistant then as a stage designer for various German theaters and opera houses, including Grosse Volksoper, Berlin (1922-1924), Städtliches Opern und Theaterhaus Barmen Elberfeld, Rhineland (1924-1926), and Städtliches Opernhaus Berlin-Charlottenburg. In 1927 Salter turned from stage design to typography and lettering, and for six years he worked as a book designer and illustrator for more than twenty German publishing companies, including S. Fisher and Kiepenheuer. From 1931 to 1933, Salter worked as department head of applied graphics and commercial art at Höhere Graphishe Fachschule (Berlin Graphic Arts Academy) in Berlin until he was dismissed in March 1933. Salter moved to Baden Baden after being prohibited from work, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1934. In 1935 Salter was expelled from the Reichskulturkammer (R.K.K.). A year before Salter emigrated, in November 1933, fifty of Salter's book jackets were displayed in a show at Columbia University, arranged by Hellmuth Lehmann-Haupt. George Salter's younger brother Stefan, also a well known book designer, had already been in America for seven years before George arrived. Designer Ernst Reichl had gone to school with Stefan, knew of George's work and recommended him to Bertram Wolff, of H. Wollff Book Manufacturing Co. Mr. Wollff arranged for Salter's passage to the U.S. and employed him as a designer. In America, Salter settled in New York as a freelance book jacket designer and illustrator. His first commission was with H. Wolff Books, New York. In 1935-1936 he taught book design and lettering at the School for Library Service of Columbia University on the recommendation of Dr. Lehmann-Haupt. In 1937-1967, he was adjunct professor at Cooper Union Art School, New York, and he also taught at New York University. In 1939-1957, Salter held the position of artistic director of Mercury Publications, New York. In 1960 Salter was the designer and artistic adviser for Atlas Magazine in New York. Salter created jackets and book designs for many leading publishing houses including Simon & Schuster, Knopf, Basic Books, Bobbs-Merrill, Random House, Little Brown, and Viking, among others. He designed trade marks for the 20th Century Fund, Lincoln Center, and Atlas among others, and lettered a popular UNICEF Christmas card. George Salter influenced other graphic designers in the U.S. during his 30 years of teaching, and many of his students became very successful. His work aimed at making the book jacket an integral part of the design of the book and not only a decorative element. In an interview with Publishers Weekly he said that his job as an artist was "to serve the book." His jacket art was allusive and not only literal. He explained: "If a manuscript hits me, then I let it speak in the language I can express." Salter's book jackets won high praise for their beauty of execution and representation of the spirit and content of the books. He often designed the complete book-text, cover design, jacket and illustrations. In the book printing field, it is said that Salter influenced the trend toward offset printing. Much of his artwork was done with airbrush technique, and he favored offset lithography for faithful reproduction of his particular style. Salter was also greatly respected for his fine calligraphy. Together with Paul Standard, he is given credit for stimulating the rebirth of calligraphy in the U.S. Salter's work was exhibited in both individual and group exhibitions like the Artists' Guild of New York, Guild of German Book Artist (Munich, 1956), and "Fifty Books of the Year" shows of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. A coast-to-coast exhibition of his work was circulated in 1961-1962, starting at Gallery 303, New York. Salter was the author of Book Jacket in the U.S.A. He belonged to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Book Jacket Design Guild, the Society for Italio Handwriting of London, and the Grolier Club. In 1942 George Salter married Agnes O'Shea, who was born in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1901. Salter retired from his teaching at Cooper Union Art School in May 1967. Three weeks after his 70th birthday he died on October 31, 1967 at Beth Israel Hospital in New York. He was survived by his wife Agnes O'Shea Salter, their daughter Janet Salter Rosenberg, and his brother Stefan Salter. [Source: Hansen, Thomas S. Classic Book Jackets: The Design Legacy of George Salter (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2005)]
Scope and Contents of the Collection The collection of George Salter Papers was donated to Smith College on 17 October 1989 by his daughter Jane Salter Rosenberg, Class of 1954, and Herbert Rosenberg, in honor of Agnes O'Shea Salter, Class of 1927, and George Salter. After the death of George Salter (calligrapher, illustrator and book designer) on 31 October 1967, a large portion of Salter's material was given to the Newberry Library. Preceding the death of Salter's wife Agnes O'Shea Salter, their daughter Janet Salter Rosenberg and husband Herbert Rosenberg donated the present collection. The collection received by the Mortimer Rare Book Room at Smith College consists of books designed by George Salter and books reflecting his professional interests (704 items), together with proofs, papers, and ephemera relating to his design projects (2,901 pieces). Additional volumes from Salter's reference library (401 items) were presented to the Hillyer Art Library at Smith College. The books with George Salter's book jackets are cataloged in the Mortimer Rare Book Room's stacks. The proofs, papers, and ephemera are arranged in five series, including Artwork by George Salter, Personal Papers, Biographical Papers, Appendix, and Oversize. All of the items in the collection are in good condition. (Please note: the appendix contains additional material about the George Salter Collection)
Book designers--Germany.
lcsh
Book designers--United States.
Book jackets--Germany--Design.
Book jackets--United States--Design.
Calligraphers--United States.
Salter, George, 1897-1967.
lcnaf
Dulberg, Ewald, 1888-1933.
series
Series I. ARTWORK BY GEORGE SALTER, 1934-1967
Book designs (covers, book jackets, endpapers)
Listing 1934-1967 : holograph
Alliance (n.d.)
Atheneum (n.d.)
Appleton (n.d.)
Appleton-Century (n.d.)
Appleton-Century-Crofts (n.d.)
Atlas Magazine (1961-1962)
Basic Books (n.d.)
Bibliographisches Institut (n.d.)
Bobbs-Merill (n.d.)
The Book-of-the-Month-Club (1943-1946, n.d.)
George Braziller (n.d.)
Columbia University Press (n.d.)
Columbia University Press (1965, n.d.)
Covici-Friede (1937)
Crowell publishers (n.d.)
Dial Press (1941, n.d.)
Doubleday, Doran & Company (n.d.)
Duell, Sloane and Pearce-Little Brown (n.d.)
Dutton (n.d.)
Engelhorn, J. (n.d.)
Farrar and Rhinehart (n.d.)
Fell, Frederick (n.d.)
Fisher, L.B. (n.d.)
Fisher, S. Verlag (n.d.)
Foreign Policy Association (n.d.)
Funk & Wagnalls (n.d.)
Grosset & Dunlap (n.d.)
Gebrüder Enoch (n.d.)
Grote, G. Verlag (n.d.)
Grote, G. Verlag, illustrations (n.d.)
Harcourt, Brace (1954-1961)
Harper (1937-1965)
Harper, endpapers (1937-1942, n.d.)
Harpers (n.d.)
Hillman-Curl (1939)
Hillman-Curl, endpaper (1939)
Holiday House (1960)
Houghton Mifflin Company (1943-1967)
Huntington Press (n.d.)
Kiepenheuer, Gustav, Verlag (n.d.)
Klinkhardt & Biermann Verlag (n.d.)
Knight Publications (n.d.)
Knopf, Alfred A. (n.d.)
Knopf, Alfred A. (Includes orig. artwork of Apple in the Attic) 1964
[see also Oversize, Box:5, Folder:152]
Knopf, Alfred A (n.d.)
Knopf, Alfred A., endpapers (n.d.)
Knopf, Alfred A., (n.d.)
[see also Oversize, Box:5, Folder:146]
Lippincott (J.B.) Company (1941-1953, n.d.)
Little Brown and Company (1936-1946, n.d.)
Little Brown and Company (1947-1951, n.d.)
Little Brown and Company (1953-1957,n.d.)
Longman's, (Living Thoughts Lib.) (1939-1940, n.d.)
[see also Oversize, Box:5, Folder:147]
McDowell, Obolensky (1957)
Macmillan Publishing Comp. (1945-1947)
Messner (1964)
Methuen Publishing Ltd. (1937)
National Home Library (n.d.)
Oxford University Press (1937-1938, n.d.)
Pantheon (1966)
Penguin Books (1945)
Phönix-Verlag, Carl Siwinna (n.d.)
Prentice Hall Inc. (n.d.)
Pyramid Books (1962)
Random House (1935-1944, n.d.)
Random House (1945-1953, n.d.)
Random House (1953-1957)
Random House, endpapers (1942-1948)
[see also Oversize, Box:5, Folder:148]
Verlag Philipp Reclam (n.d.)
Dietrich Reimer Verlag (n.d.)
Eric Reiss Verlag (n.d.)
Verlag E.A. Seemann (n.d.)
Transmare Verlag (n.d.)
Roy Publishers (1943-1945, n.d.)
Schmiede Verlag (n.d.)
Scribners and Company (1943)
Simon and Schuster Inc. (1934-1936, n.d.)
Simon and Schuster (1935-1937)
[see also Oversize, Box:5, Folder:149]
Smith and Haas (1935-1936, n.d.)
Szolsnay, Paul Verlag (n.d.)
Stokes, Friedrich A. (1935)
Time Inc. (1964)
Universitas, Berlin (n.d.)
Venguard (1936-1939, n.d.)
Viking Press Inc. (1935-1938, n.d.)
Viking Press Inc. (1952-1966, n.d.)
Viking Press Inc. (1954-1955, n.d.)
Whittlesey House (1946)
World Publishing Company (1959-1960)
[see also Oversize Box:5, Folder:150]
Wyn, A.A (1945)
Exhibitions, Graphic Works
Exhibitions: catalogs (1951-1962)
Exhibitions, Typographic
Exhibitions (1945-1958)
Typophiles (n.d.)
Graphic design; announcements, advertisements
American Inst. Of Graphic Art (1941-1944, n.d.)
Columbia University Press (1935)
Colorgraphic (n.d.)
Continental Typefounders (n.d.)
Gebruder Klingspor (n.d.)
Group Health Cooperative (n.d.)
John Peel Wiskey (n.d.)
Klangfilm G.m.b.H (n.d.)
Luria, A.N. (1938)
N.Y. Times Book Fair (n.d.)
[see also Oversize, Box:5, Folder:151]
Pergamon Press (n.d.)
Invitations & announcements
Invitations & Announcements (1938-1966, n.d.)
Stationery designs
Letterheads (n.d.)
Other graphic designs
Devices (n.d.)
Miscellaneous
Unidentified designs (n.d.)
Series II. PERSONAL PAPERS, 1920-1966
Correspondence
Letters to G.S. from E. Dülberg (1920-1924, n.d.)
Letters from G.S. to different publishers: photocopies (1937-1966, n.d.)
Postcards to G.S. (incl. explanatory letter from J. Salter Rosenberg) (1924-1928, n.d.)
To/from Chiswick Bookshop (1941)
From G.S. to E. Jungfer, notary (1963)
Notes by G.S.: holograph
Notes (1962, n.d.)
Articles by G.S.: typescript
7 articles, (6 in English, 1 in German) (1942-1964, n.d.)
Articles by G.S.: printed
Book Production Industry & other (1966, n.d.)
Cooper Union Art School
Mailing list :holograph (n.d.)
Columbia Journal of World Business (Typographical Instructions 1965): typescript
Series III. BIOGRAPHICAL PAPERS, 1940-1980
Articles about G.S.: typescripts
Article by M. Woods & G.K. Schauer (n.d.)
Articles about G.S.: printed
11 Articles in German & English (1940-1984, (n.d.))
Correspondence to A. Salter (1967-1980)
Interview with A. Salter
Interview with Agnes O'Shea Salter (1979)
Obituary
Obituaries and letters of condolence (1967)
Clippings, portraits, cards etc.
Series IV. APPENDICES
Lists of books with jacket by G.S.
Lists of German books with G.S.'s jackets
Lists of Salter book jackets in Series I, Boxes 1-3, (arranged/searchable by title, by author, by publisher, and by date)
Series V. OVERSIZE, 1936-1964
Book designs
Knopf, Alfred A, (n.d.)
Longmans (1936)
Random House (1951-1963)
Simon and Schuster publishers (1935-1936)
World publishing company (1958-1964)
Glass plate
Original artwork
Knopf, Alfred A., Apple in the Attic, by M. Jordan. (1942)
Posters
Simon and Schuster publishers (1936)
Woman's Day, the A&P magazine, Men of Art (1946)
Photographs : George Salter
Portrait, printed, black/white (n.d.)
George Salter, teaching
5 Photographs, teaching, b/w. (n.d.)
7 Photographs, teaching, b/w. (n.d.)
Agnes Salter (wife)
Jane Salter (daughter)
Negatives, of G.& A. Salter
Portraits, negatives (n.d.)
Additions to the Collection, 2004
Correspondence with James McCrea and Paul Standard (incl. explanatory material from James McCrea) (1957-1963, n.d)
Original drawing for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (n.d.)
Cloth-covered box designed for Radio Corporation of America (RCA).
Additions to the Collection, 2010
Covers for Bestseller Mysteries
Covers for Ellery Queen's Mystery MagazineFall 1941-1957?
Covers for Jonathan Press Mystery
Covers for Mercury Mystery
Miscellaneous covers: The American Mercury (1949); American Mercury Books; The American Mercury Reader; Bestseller Library; Bestseller Mystery Magazine; BestsellersThe Book of Wit & HumorDetective (1951); Detective Book ClubThe Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (1950-1951); Mercury Books; The Mercury Library; Mercury Mystery Magazine; Mercury Press; Omnibook Magazine (1945); Page One Detective (1952); True Crime; Detective (1951-1953); Venture Science Fiction (1957) 1949-57
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. New York: The Book Club, 1938. 1938