1. Louis Dorfsman was an American graphic designer who oversaw almost every aspect of the advertising and corporate identity for the Columbia Broadcasting System in his 40 years with the network.
17 Facts About Lou Dorfsman
1. 2.
Lou Dorfsman had wanted to attend New York University and study bacteriology there, but was unable to afford the tuition.
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Lou Dorfsman chose to attend Cooper Union, where he received a four-year scholarship and graduated in 1939.
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Lou Dorfsman served on Cooper Union's board of directors for many years.
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Lou Dorfsman served in the United States Army during World War II, using his design skills.
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Lou Dorfsman was hired in 1946 as art director for the CBS Radio Network.
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Lou Dorfsman's designs were described by The New York Times as featuring "clear typography, simple slogans and smart illustration".
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Lou Dorfsman commissioned work from portraitist Feliks Topolski and painter Ben Shahn.
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The print advertising Lou Dorfsman created for CBS created a sense of urgency for the network's news and public affairs programming.
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Lou Dorfsman oversaw design of annual reports for CBS and created promotional commemorative volumes, including a 1969 limited-edition book with a cover embossed to resemble the lunar surface, after the first crewed Moon landing.
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Lou Dorfsman designed sets for Walter Cronkite's CBS Evening News and for the CBS Morning News.
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In Eero Saarinen's CBS Building on 52nd Street and Sixth Avenue, Lou Dorfsman was responsible for all of the building's graphics, designating the type, design and spacing for wall clocks, elevator buttons, and elevator inspection stickers.
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Lou Dorfsman considered this work to be "his magnum opus, his gift to the world".
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The responsibilities for advertising, which had previously been handled in-house under Lou Dorfsman's supervision, were transferred to Backer, Spielvogel, Bates.
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Lou Dorfsman died at age 90 on October 22,2008, in Roslyn, New York of congestive heart failure.
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In 1978, Lou Dorfsman was recognized as a medalist by the AIGA, "awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of design and visual communication".
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Lou Dorfsman was awarded the TDC Medal by the Type Directors Club in 1995.