Today's Hours
It started with a simple question posed by George Lois, the storied Madison Avenue Art Director and self-described “cultural provocateur” whose career in advertising dominated the ‘60s, ‘70s, 80’s and beyond. His work spans the past 60 years and his advertising is no less than a treasure trove that so incredibly reflects our culture. For through George’s interactions and relationships with the movers and shakers of our times – from Paul Robeson, Joseph McCarthy, Arturo Toscanini, Robert Kennedy, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Robert Redford, and Muhammad Ali among others – we are better able to understand how he used his talent to defend democracy and speak truth to power. With his innate creative talent and ability to put seemingly diametrically opposed concepts together, compose the essence of Lois’ ability to create unique and powerful advertising— that in addition to creating sales, it is the crossroads between art, commerce and morality. (Unlike what was depicted in the television series “Mad Men,” truly great advertising transcends the selling of products and brings a cultural ethos to the zeitgeist of the times).
“Rosemary (George’s wife and a noted designer in her own right) wanted me to ask you what you would think about my giving my archives to CCNY.”
Caught off guard, all I remember saying is: “Really!”
He continued, “You’re a friend of mine. I went to the High School of Music & Art (now the A. Philip Randolph H.S. adjacent to the CCNY campus), and I believe in public education.” He followed this with the all-time best closing line ever directed to a 21st century academic: “I want to help students of diversity to succeed. What better place could there be for my archives than City College?”
When George Lois gave his archives to CCNY in 2016, he recognized the unique linkage between diversity and education and the chance to help students understand that advertising is an art that so reflects our culture and our social narrative. The raw, unprocessed collection extends to approximately 350 linear feet of mixed material with extensive, oversized content entailing one-of-a-kind large format advertising and PR prints. Taken together, this collection entails a nearly comprehensive record of George’s early agency work, his ground-breaking and ultimately iconic output during the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, and his continuing creative output over six decades. It is the largest collection at CUNY.
The Esquire covers are widely regarded as masterpieces of design and have received the singular honor of inclusion in the permanent collection of MOMA, the only modern magazine covers installed in the permanent collections of any museum, as museum grade four-color lithographic prints. The inclusion of the 27 original sketches of Lois' iconic Esquire covers makes this archive truly historic .. practically the definition of enduring archival value. They clearly reflect how Lois was so ahead of his time with respect to his awareness of and sensitivity to the enduring social issues of our time. Those ten years of covers that he created represent a bright, shining moment in American media, when a genuine genius and a very brave publisher spoke truth to power and accepted the consequences, proudly and defiantly.
The processing of these covers into the archive particularly effected David Nocera, our chief archivist. In particular, he reflected on how the cover of a battered Ursula Andress was so ahead of its time (consider the current state of sexual abuse of women). Interestingly, the collection contains actual tear sheets and that Andress cover was backed by a Heineken beer ad. In an email to Music Librarian Michael Crowley, Nocera points out how ironic this is considering that alcohol consumption is so often linked to incidences of domestic violence.
Going to great lengths, as many of his accomplishments that can be found have been gathered and archived at the CCNY/Lois Archives as we seek to make high-resolution digital renderings of these unique artworks available to all on the Worldwide Web. Additionally, the archive seeks to mount these artworks in durable protective handling mats so they can be safely made available by appointment to selected individual researchers and, perhaps most importantly, to educators and students in the College’s MCA and BIC program.
With these archives, we have been able to create a pedagogical model that allows students to utilize digital processing as a tool to become involved with original source materials. We started with students who really had no conception of the real value of the digital platform. They wanted access and speed which is coming at the expense of accessing quality information that enhances their interest and imagination. In fact, beyond going to Google, they really do not get much more than “surface” information that is a function of analytics designed to direct them to the most popular keywords. But, by helping students to know and use rigorous archival standards for digital access, this experience has encouraged them to become more critical and discerning consumers of digital content and acquire a better understanding of the value of the digital in the humanities and its relationship to culture.
It is George's fondest hope that this archive will inspire a new generation of "cultural provocateurs." With this incredible collection, our students are able to enjoy the rarest educational experience... not merely processing this treasure, but regularly interacting with a creative genius and cultural icon... this is the magic of CCNY.
Image: George Lois standing in front to the wall of his Esquire covers at MoMA
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