A GUIDE TO LESTER BEALL
Lester Beall and the A-D Gallery
[Beall, Lester] A-D Gallery: A GUIDE TO LESTER BEALL [November 19 - December 31]. NYC: The Composing Room/A-D Gallery, 1945. First edition. Slim 12mo. Stapled, printed vellum over letterpressed self-wrappers. 16 pp. Illustrations. A good copy of an uncommon booklet. Vellum wrapper tissue partially perished on rear panel and contents well-thumbed. Catalogue design by Lester Beall.
5.5 x 8 saddle-stitched exhibition catalogue with 16 pages from the exhibition held at the newly remodeled A-D Gallery from November 19 - December 31, 1945. "An exhibition of Beall's drawings, paintings, posters, typographic designs, photographs,packaging, magazine pages, photograms and layouts from 1933 to 1945."
Erin Malone writes: In 1936, Dr. Robert Leslie, assisted by Hortense Mendel, began showing the work of emigre and young artists in an empty room in The Composing Room offices. Called the A-D Gallery, it was the first place in New York City dedicated to exhibiting the graphic and typographic arts.
The first exhibit as described by Percy Seitlin: "A young man by the name of Herbert Matter had just arrived in this country from Switzerland with a bagful of ski posters and photgraphs of snow covered mountains. Also came camera portraits and various specimens of his typographic work. We decided to let him hang some of his things on the walls and gave him a party... the result was a crowd of almost bargain-basement dimensions, and thirsty too. Everyone was excited by the audacity and skill of Matter's work."
The A-D gallery was one of the only places in New York city for young artists to come into contact with the work of european emigres and soon became a social meeting place for designers to meet each other, as well as prospective clients and employers. Dr. Leslie knew many people in New York and went out of his way to introduce people to each other. The gallery and the magazine became mirrors of each other. Often a feature in the magazine would become a show and vice-versa.
Lester Beall (19031969) was a true American Original ‹ an American Constructivist. Primarily self-taught in graphic design, he exemplified a great knowledge and understanding of the European Avant-Garde. His early work shows Constructivist and Bauhaus influences mixed with his personal Midwestern sensibility. Beall exhibited a great talent for communicating ideas and elevating the taste and expectations of the corporate client. In 1937, Beall became the first American designer to have a one-man show at the Museum of Modern Art, featuring his posters for the Rural Electrification Administration.
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