Abstract
This paper explores the strategic role of graphic design in promoting and consolidating the early 20th-century fruit industry in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, it examines the creation of Better Fruit magazine, a publication intended to advocate for “progressive” (i.e., industrial) farming while attracting affluent European Americans to settle in the region. The magazine’s exceptional typography and presswork were intentionally crafted to dispel the notion of the Northwest as a rugged frontier, instead portraying it as a prosperous and refined society. The editors’ self-awareness of the publication’s aesthetic choices underscores how the magazine’s design served as a proxy for the high standards the Northwest fruit industry aspired to.
Presenters
Cristina de AlmeidaProfessor of Graphic Design, Design, Western Washington University, Washington, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Graphic Design History, Publication Design, Pacific Northwest Design
