Thomas Maitland Cleland's 1940 'Harsh Words' on Design Decline Revisited
In 1940, Thomas Maitland Cleland delivered a scathing address to the American Institute of Graphic Arts in New York City, later published as 'Harsh Words.' He deplored the state of book design and typography, attacking modernism, functionalism, and the Streamline style. Cleland criticized the notion that originality is essential, arguing that it led to a loss of craftsmanship. He targeted industrial designers like Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes for promoting 'mass vulgarity.' His speech, spanning 39 pages and over 5,000 words, remains a pointed critique of design trends that echo today's debates about technology and artistry.
Key facts
- Thomas Maitland Cleland delivered an address on February 5, 1940, at the AIGA in New York City.
- The speech was published as a keepsake by the AIGA titled 'Harsh Words.'
- Cleland designed the first cover of Fortune Magazine in 1933.
- He criticized modernism, functionalism, and the Streamline style.
- He attacked industrial designers Raymond Loewy, Norman Bel Geddes, Henry Dreyfuss, and Walter Dorwin Teague.
- Cleland argued against the idea that originality is essential to graphic arts.
- He described modernist type simplification as 'block letters for blockheads.'
- The essay was referenced by Steven Heller as a final reading assignment.
Entities
Artists
- Thomas Maitland Cleland
- William Morris
- William Addison Dwiggins
- Paul Rand
- Lester Beall
- Bradbury Thompson
- Raymond Loewy
- Norman Bel Geddes
- Henry Dreyfuss
- Walter Dorwin Teague
- Steven Heller
Institutions
- American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
- Fortune Magazine
- PRINT Magazine
Locations
- New York City
- United States