Lester Beall

Lester Beall (1903 – 1969) was an American graphic designer notable as a leading proponent of modernist graphic design in the United States. 

A man with a very technology-oriented background, Beall grew up playing with Ham radios and creating his own wireless sets. He graduated with a Ph.D in the History of Fine Art and the years following his graduation found him expressing an interest in modern art movements such as Surrealism, Constructivism and Dadaism. His work as an advertiser and graphic designer quickly gained international recognition and the most productive years of his career, during the 1930s and 40s, saw many successes in both fields.

His clear and concise use of typography was highly praised both in the United States and abroad. Throughout his career he used bold primary colors and illustrative arrows and lines in a graphic style that became easily recognizable as his own. He eventually moved to rural New York and set up an office, and home, at a premises that he and his family called "Dumbarton Farm". He remained at the farm until his death in 1969.

Beall's work for the Rural Electrification Administration was honored by the Museum of Modern Art, a first for graphic designers. - Design History

Lester Beall: Born: 1903, Kansas City, Missouri, United States; died: 1969, New York, New York, United States; education: The University of Chicago