Philip B. Meggs
Encyclopedia
Philip Baxter Meggs was an American graphic designer
, professor, historian and author of books on graphic design
. His book History of Graphic Design is a definitive, standard read for the study of graphic design.
He has been called the most important historian of design since Nikolaus Pevsner
(1902-1983). In contrast to Pevsner, he published a history of graphic design that went beyond the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One of the first educators to create an overview of the history of graphic design that did not depend exclusively on the traditional structure of the history of the art, Meggs believed that graphic design would need to acquire an adequate understanding of the past and its relation with art.
, to Wallace Nat Meggs and Elizabeth Pruitt Meggs. He had a twin brother, William Joel Meggs
.
At 16 years of age he practiced typesetting metal type in the afternoons after school and enjoyed drawing and painting.
He received a Master of Fine Arts
degree from Virginia Commonwealth University
(VCU) and an honorary doctorate from Massachusetts College of Art
.
In 1964 he married his college girlfriend, Libby Phillips, an art director and illustrator. They had two children, Andrew Meggs and Elizabeth Meggs.
and then art director at A.H. Robins Pharmaceuticals
.
In 1968, he began teaching in the Communication Arts and Design Department at Virginia Commonwealth University
, chairing the department from 1974 to 1987, during which time enrollment doubled and the program rose to national prominence. In addition to his teaching at VCU, he served as visiting faculty at Syracuse University
and the National College of Art and Design
, Dublin.
Inspired by a lack of research and instructive materials on design history, theory and creative methods, Meggs started teaching a history of graphic design course in 1974. His efforts to record and understand the history of this profession lead him to publish his first book, A History of Graphic Design, in 1983.
While a professor at VCU he authored more than a dozen books and 150 articles and papers on design and typography, including a section on graphic design in the Encyclopædia Britannica
. Meggs attended many conferences and was said by Steven Heller
to have “built a monument to graphic design’s legacy.” He was inducted into the Art Directors Hall of Fame and received its Educator's Award for lifetime achievement and significantly shaping the future of the fields of graphic design education and writing.
He died after a long battle with leukemia
on November 24, 2002 at the age of 60 and was buried at Dale Memorial Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia
.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, professor, historian and author of books on graphic design
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...
. His book History of Graphic Design is a definitive, standard read for the study of graphic design.
He has been called the most important historian of design since Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
(1902-1983). In contrast to Pevsner, he published a history of graphic design that went beyond the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One of the first educators to create an overview of the history of graphic design that did not depend exclusively on the traditional structure of the history of the art, Meggs believed that graphic design would need to acquire an adequate understanding of the past and its relation with art.
Life and early career
Meggs was born on May 30, 1942 in Newberry, South CarolinaNewberry, South Carolina
Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, 43 miles west -northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. In 1890, 3,020 people lived in Newberry, South Carolina; in 1900, 4,607; in 1910, 5,028; and in 1940, 7,510. The population was 10,580 at the 2000 census. It is the county...
, to Wallace Nat Meggs and Elizabeth Pruitt Meggs. He had a twin brother, William Joel Meggs
William Joel Meggs
William Joel Meggs is a board-certified internal medicine and emergency medicine physician, allergist and immunologist, and medical toxicologist with “interests in envenomations, antidotes, and environmental toxicology. Dr...
.
At 16 years of age he practiced typesetting metal type in the afternoons after school and enjoyed drawing and painting.
He received a Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
degree from Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
(VCU) and an honorary doctorate from Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a publicly-funded college of visual and applied art, founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly-funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree...
.
In 1964 he married his college girlfriend, Libby Phillips, an art director and illustrator. They had two children, Andrew Meggs and Elizabeth Meggs.
Career
Post-college, Meggs worked as a senior designer at Reynolds MetalsReynolds Metals
Reynolds Group Holdings is an American packaging company with its roots in the Reynolds Metals Company, was the second largest aluminum company in the United States, and the third largest in the world...
and then art director at A.H. Robins Pharmaceuticals
Wyeth
Wyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...
.
In 1968, he began teaching in the Communication Arts and Design Department at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
, chairing the department from 1974 to 1987, during which time enrollment doubled and the program rose to national prominence. In addition to his teaching at VCU, he served as visiting faculty 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...
and the National College of Art and Design
National College of Art and Design
The National College of Art and Design is a national art and design school in Dublin, Ireland.-History:Situated on Thomas Street, the NCAD started as a private drawing school and has become a national institution educating over 1,500 day and evening students as artists, designers and art educators...
, Dublin.
Inspired by a lack of research and instructive materials on design history, theory and creative methods, Meggs started teaching a history of graphic design course in 1974. His efforts to record and understand the history of this profession lead him to publish his first book, A History of Graphic Design, in 1983.
While a professor at VCU he authored more than a dozen books and 150 articles and papers on design and typography, including a section on graphic design in the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
. Meggs attended many conferences and was said by Steven Heller
Steven Heller (graphic design)
Steven Heller is an American art director, journalist, critic, author, and editor who specializes on topics related to graphic design....
to have “built a monument to graphic design’s legacy.” He was inducted into the Art Directors Hall of Fame and received its Educator's Award for lifetime achievement and significantly shaping the future of the fields of graphic design education and writing.
He died after a long battle with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
on November 24, 2002 at the age of 60 and was buried at Dale Memorial Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Awards
- 1983 — Association of American Publishers: excellence in publishing
- 1995 — VCU: Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Service
- 2004 — AIGA: Medalist
Selected bibliography
- 1983 A History of Graphic Design. (1st edition) Van Nostrand Reinhold
- 1991 A History of Graphic Design. (2nd edition) Van Nostrand Reinhold
- 1992 Type and Image: The Language of Graphic Design. Van Nostrand Reinhold
- 1993 Typographic Design: Form and Communication. for Philip B. Meggs and Rob CarterRob CarterRob Carter is professor of typography and graphic design at Virginia Commonwealth University.Carter has received numerous awards for his work from organizations such as the American Institute of Graphic Arts, New York Type Directors Club, Society of Typographic Arts, Creativity, and Print regional...
ISBN 0-442-00758-2 - 1998 A History of Graphic Design. (3rd edition) John Wiley & Sons ISBN 978-0471291985
- 2005 Meggs' History of Graphic Design. (4th edition) Ed. Wiley. Revised by Alston W. Purvis
External links
- http://he-cda.wiley.com/WileyCDA/HigherEdTitle/productCd-0471699020,courseCd-GD0050,pageType-copy,page-authorInfo.html?print=true
- 2002 Obituary in the Richmond Times-DispatchRichmond Times-DispatchThe Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
- Art Directors Club biography, portrait and images of work