cooper hewitt blog

Henry Dreyfuss and Leo Burnett—major influences in 20th-century design—assessed the creative, practical, and financial implications of the project.

Object conservators discuss how to repair chips in gilded porcelain

In soliciting information about symbols from people and organizations around the globe, Henry Dreyfuss sent out two articles that expressed his vision for symbols' potential to transcend written or spoken language.

While researching for the Symbol Sourcebook, Henry Dreyfuss was reminded of an important set of symbols from earlier in the 20th century.

Henry Dreyfuss worked to get the Symbol Sourcebook promoted on the pages of the magazine to an unexpected result.

A curator, a conservator, and a designer discuss the continual maintenance of Watercolor Maps, a born-digital mapping tool in Cooper Hewitt's digital collection.

Sue Perks analyzes the various symbols that have stood for "poison" or "danger" and proves that in communication design context is everything.

As part of a broad promotional push for the Symbol Sourcebook, Henry Dreyfuss worked with Neiman Marcus to produce a bold selection of merchandise related to symbols.

Paul Clifton, project manager of the Symbol Sourcebook, compiled a chronology documenting key moments in the development of the project.

In preparation for the exhibition "A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes," textile conservators analyzed textile samples to better understand and care for the objects.

In observance of Pride month, Cooper Hewitt’s curatorial departments have selected a group of objects with LGBTQ+ stories to feature on the museum’s collection site. These objects are loosely connected by the theme of queer modernisms and are by LGBTQ+ designers.

In 2023, Cooper Hewitt hung the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag on its south-facing facade. The installation celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month and demonstrates the evolution of inclusivity in the design of Pride flags.

Sue Perks interviews Pam Holaday, member of the Symbol Sourcebook team who drew the majority of the symbols.

Sue Perks explains the structure of the Symbol Sourcebook, along with Henry Dreyfuss's thinking behind much of the book's content.

Looking at archival correspondence, Sue Perks charts the wide-reaching, collaborative process Henry Dreyfuss and his team undertook to create the Symbol Sourcebook.