John Vassos
Encyclopedia
John Vassos was a noted American industrial designer and graphic design
er.
Vassos was born in Romania
to Greek parents, and moved when young to Istanbul, Turkey, where he drew political cartoons for his father's newspaper. After serving in the British Naval Support Systems during World War I, he emigrated to Boston
in 1919 where he attended the Fenway Art School at night. In 1924 he moved to New York, where he opened his own studio creating window displays, murals, and advertisements. He also attended the Art Students League of New York
, studying under George Bridgman
, John Sloan, and others.
In 1924, Vassos created his first industrial design, a lotion bottle popular as a hip flask during Prohibition
. In 1933 he designed the widely popular Peevy turnstile
still used in many subway stations. Other notable designs included a streamlined paring knife, Hohner accordion
s, computers, an electron microscope
, corporate logos, and shotgun
s. Between 1927-1935, Vassos also illustrated nine books, including literary works by Oscar Wilde
and graphic-oriented books cowritten with his wife.
Vassos designed the cabinets of the RCA Corporation's first commercially available television sets. For the 1939 World's Fair he created a novel TV cabinet in transparent Lucite plastic, as well as futuristic entertainment systems such as a radio, television, and record player housed within a single cabinet. His industrial design contributions at RCA spanned over 40 years and included the design for RCA's first color television camera.
In addition to his design work, Vassos chaired the boards of the American Society of Industrial Designers and the Industrial Designers Institute. His papers are collected at Syracuse University
.
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
er.
Vassos was born in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to Greek parents, and moved when young to Istanbul, Turkey, where he drew political cartoons for his father's newspaper. After serving in the British Naval Support Systems during World War I, he emigrated to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1919 where he attended the Fenway Art School at night. In 1924 he moved to New York, where he opened his own studio creating window displays, murals, and advertisements. He also attended the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
, studying under George Bridgman
George Bridgman
George Brant Bridgman was a Canadian-American painter, writer, and teacher in the fields of anatomy and figure drawing. Bridgman taught anatomy for artists at the Art Students League of New York for some 45 years....
, John Sloan, and others.
In 1924, Vassos created his first industrial design, a lotion bottle popular as a hip flask during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. In 1933 he designed the widely popular Peevy turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
still used in many subway stations. Other notable designs included a streamlined paring knife, Hohner accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
s, computers, an electron microscope
Electron microscope
An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...
, corporate logos, and shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s. Between 1927-1935, Vassos also illustrated nine books, including literary works by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
and graphic-oriented books cowritten with his wife.
Vassos designed the cabinets of the RCA Corporation's first commercially available television sets. For the 1939 World's Fair he created a novel TV cabinet in transparent Lucite plastic, as well as futuristic entertainment systems such as a radio, television, and record player housed within a single cabinet. His industrial design contributions at RCA spanned over 40 years and included the design for RCA's first color television camera.
In addition to his design work, Vassos chaired the boards of the American Society of Industrial Designers and the Industrial Designers Institute. His papers are collected at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
.