Seymour Chwast (born August 18, 1931) is an American graphic designer, illustrator, and type designer.
Biography
Chwast was born in the Bronx, New York City and in 1948 graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn where he was introduced to graphic design by his art teacher, Leon Friend. He joined the school’s elite art squad (alumni include Gene Federico and Alex Steinweiss). A portfolio was required for entry; he and the club would create on demand including posters, banners, and other materials for school events and social causes. That same year, he published his first illustration (a drawing of himself dancing at a party) in the “It’s All Yours” issue of Seventeen.
In Chwast’s commentary on his career he states: “I have a strong suspicion the way I draw—and what I draw—were preordained by the time I was nine years of age.”
He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cooper Union in 1951. After graduation, he went on to hold several jobs, which included working on promotional art for the New York Times. He also worked at Esquire magazine, where he reunited with fellow Cooper Union alum Edward Sorel. After both were fired in 1954, they founded Push Pin Studios along with Milton Glaser. Reynold Ruffins would join them shortly thereafter. The bi-monthly publication The Push Pin Graphic, a product of their collaboration, was launched in 1957.
Books in order of publication:
Esquire Party Book (by Scotty & Ronnie; Esquire Editors Welch), Esquire/Harper & Row, 1965
Amazing Magical Jell-O Desserts (by Seymour Chwast, Arnold Rosenberg), General Foods Corporation, 1977
The Art of New York (by Seymour Chwast, Steven Heller), Harry N. Abrams, 1983
Art Against War: Four Hundred Years of Protest in Art (by D. J. R. Bruckner, Seymour Chwast, Steven Heller), Abbeville Press, 1984
Happy birthday, Bach (by Peter Schickele, Seymour Chwast), Doubleday, 1985
The Left-Handed Designer (by Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Harry N Abrams, 1985
Sam’s Bar (by Seymour Chwast), Doubleday, 1987
New York Observed: Artists and Writers Look at the City, 1650 to the Present (by Barbara Cohen (ed.), Seymour Chwast (ed.), Steven Heller(ed.)), Harry N Abrams Inc, 1987
Just Enough Is Plenty: A Hanukkah Tale (by Barbara Diamond Goldin and Seymour Chwast), Viking Kestrel, 1988
Italian Futurism & Art Deco (Design & Style, No. 4) (by Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Mohawk Paper Mills/The Pushpin Group, 1988
Trylon and Perisphere: 1939 New York World’s Fair (by Barbara Cohen, Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Harry N Abrams Inc, 1989
Paper Pets: Make Your Own 3 Dogs, 2 Cats, 1 Parrot, 1 Rabbit, 1 Monkey (by Seymour Chwast), Harry N Abrams Inc 1993
Bra Fashions By Stephanie (by Seymour Chwast), Warner Books, 1994
The Alphabet Parade (by Seymour Chwast), Voyager Books, 1994
Graphic Style: From Victorian to Post-Modern (by Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Harry N Abrams, 1994
Jackets Required (by Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Chronicle Books, 1995
The Twelve Circus Rings (by Seymour Chwast), Harcourt Children’s Books, 1996
Mr. Merlin and the Turtle (by Seymour Chwast), Greenwillow, 1996
Goodbye, Hello: Everything You Need to Help Your Child When Your Family Moves, Parenting Packs (by Seymour Chwast) Harry N Abrams Inc, 1997
Traffic Jam (by Seymour Chwast), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1999
Graphic Style: From Victorian to Digital (by Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Harry N Abrams, 2001
The Push Pin Graphic: A Quarter Century of Innovative Design and Illustration (by Seymour Chwast, introduction by Martin Venezky), Chronicle Books, 2004
She Sells Sea Shells: World Class Tongue Twisters (by Seymour Chwast), Applesauce Press, 2008
Illustration: A Visual History (by Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Harry N Abrams, 2008
Seymour: The Obsessive Images of Seymour Chwast (by Seymour Chwast, Steven Heller, Paula Scher), Chronicle Books, 2009
Had Gadya: A Passover Song (by Seymour Chwast, Michael Strassfeld), Square Fish, 2009
Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Graphic Adaptation (by Seymour Chwast), Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2010
Graphic Style: From Victorian to New Century (by Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast), Harry N Abrams Inc, 2011
The Canterbury Tales (by Seymour Chwast), Bloomsbury USA, 2011
The Odyssey (by Seymour Chwast), Bloomsbury USA, 2012
Get Dressed! (by Seymour Chwast), Harry N. Abrams, 2012
Bobo’s Smile (by Seymour Chwast), Creative Editions, 2012
Tall City, Wide Country (by Seymour Chwast), Creative Editions, 2013
Still Another Alphabet Book: A Colorful Puzzle & Game Book (by Seymour Chwast, Martin Moskof), Dover Publications, 2014
Still Another Number Book: A Colorful Counting Book (by Seymour Chwast, Martin Moskof), Dover Publications, 2014
Dr. Dolittle (by Seymour Chwast), Creative Editions, 2015
About Diabetes: Your Guide to Good Health (by Learning About Diabetes Inc., Seymour Chwast), Learning About Diabetes Inc., 2016
The Pancake King (By Phyllis La Farge, Illustrated by Seymour Chwast, Ate by Seth Swerine), Princeton Architectural Press, 2016
At War with War: 5000 Years of Conquests, Invasions, and Terrorist Attacks, An Illustrated Timeline (by Seymour Chwast, Victor Navasky), Seven Stories Press, 2017
Docteur Dolittle (Sztajn Lili, Seymour Chwast, Lili Sztajn, Philippe Bretelle), Helium livres illustrés (French Edition), 2018
Poster Man: 50 Years of Iconic Graphic Design (by Seymour Chwast), Schiffer Publishing, 2021
Oak Lawn Library Friends 