Richard Hollis's Graphic Design History Gets Final Edition

The final edition of Richard Hollis's reference work on graphic design from 1890 to the present has been published by Thames & Hudson. Originally released in 1994 as "Graphisme au 20e siècle," the only update is a new final chapter covering trends at the turn of the 21st century. The book features 800 reproductions and explores visual changes in communication media such as books, posters, and advertisements. Hollis argues that the graphic turning point of the 20th century was the "art of the poster" (or advertising), driven by industrialization and declining illiteracy. However, critics note that 1890 is not a key date for all media—books, for instance, benefited from mass industrialization as early as the 19th century. The book also claims that "the profession of graphic designer has only existed since the mid-20th century," linked to industrial reproduction, though recent exhibitions have highlighted graphic work from earlier centuries. The review by Alexandre Laumonier acknowledges that until recently, making a poster or book was considered craftsmanship rather than art, and the emergence of the "graphic artist" may be a singularity of 20th-century graphic history.