Gertrude Huston | |
---|---|
Born | 1919
New York City, U.S. |
Died | August 26, 1998
Norfolk, Connecticut, U.S. | (aged 78–79)
Education | Parsons School of Design |
Occupations |
|
Known for | Designing book covers for New Directions Publishing |
Spouse |
Gertrude Huston (1919 – August 26, 1998) [1] was an American artist and illustrator [2] known for designing book covers for New Directions.
Gertrude Huston was born in New York City in 1919 [1] and grew up in New York and Wilton, Connecticut. [3]
Huston graduated from Parsons School of Design. [3] [4]
Huston worked at the Helena Rubinstein salon in New York. After a tenure at Lucien Long in Chicago, Huston returned to New York City to work at Blaker Advertising Agency. [3] Huston was also a contract employee at the Ford Foundation. [4]
Huston began designing books for New Directions on a freelance basis. She designed books for the publishing company from the late 1940s through the late 1970s. [1] She also served as Art Director of New Directions. [3]
In his book "Literchoor Is My Beat": A Life of James Laughlin, Publisher of New Directions, Ian S. MacNiven describes Huston's book design style:
"Her covers suggested the influence of Alvin Lustig but tended more toward the whimsical: for the second printing of Thomas's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, she made a line drawing of a show-clipped French poodle, anglicized with a pipe and derby, sitting at a typewriter. It was humorous, but it certainly was not Dylan." [4]
Huston ended her regular work with New Directions in 1978, after a clash with Dan Allman — then head of book design — over the design of H.D.'s End to Torment: A Memoir of Ezra Pound. She continued to design book covers for the publishing company only occasionally afterwards. [4]
Outside of her book design work, Huston served as the secretary of Community Board No. 5 in Manhattan. She was active at the Midtown South Police Precinct Community Council and Encore Community Services at St. Malachy's Church. [3] She served as president of the Rose Hill Neighborhood Association. [5] A fan of jazz music, Huston was a member of the Duke Ellington Society, and lobbied to have Ellington formally memorialized in New York City. [3] [2]
Huston lost a husband in World War Two. Huston met New Directions founder James Laughlin at a Halloween dance party in 1945. [4] The pair maintained an affair through both of Laughlin's earlier marriages, though they married on December 5, 1990. [1]
Gertrude Huston died in Norfolk, Connecticut, on August 26, 1998, after a long illness. [3]
Gertrude Huston | |
---|---|
Born | 1919
New York City, U.S. |
Died | August 26, 1998
Norfolk, Connecticut, U.S. | (aged 78–79)
Education | Parsons School of Design |
Occupations |
|
Known for | Designing book covers for New Directions Publishing |
Spouse |
Gertrude Huston (1919 – August 26, 1998) [1] was an American artist and illustrator [2] known for designing book covers for New Directions.
Gertrude Huston was born in New York City in 1919 [1] and grew up in New York and Wilton, Connecticut. [3]
Huston graduated from Parsons School of Design. [3] [4]
Huston worked at the Helena Rubinstein salon in New York. After a tenure at Lucien Long in Chicago, Huston returned to New York City to work at Blaker Advertising Agency. [3] Huston was also a contract employee at the Ford Foundation. [4]
Huston began designing books for New Directions on a freelance basis. She designed books for the publishing company from the late 1940s through the late 1970s. [1] She also served as Art Director of New Directions. [3]
In his book "Literchoor Is My Beat": A Life of James Laughlin, Publisher of New Directions, Ian S. MacNiven describes Huston's book design style:
"Her covers suggested the influence of Alvin Lustig but tended more toward the whimsical: for the second printing of Thomas's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, she made a line drawing of a show-clipped French poodle, anglicized with a pipe and derby, sitting at a typewriter. It was humorous, but it certainly was not Dylan." [4]
Huston ended her regular work with New Directions in 1978, after a clash with Dan Allman — then head of book design — over the design of H.D.'s End to Torment: A Memoir of Ezra Pound. She continued to design book covers for the publishing company only occasionally afterwards. [4]
Outside of her book design work, Huston served as the secretary of Community Board No. 5 in Manhattan. She was active at the Midtown South Police Precinct Community Council and Encore Community Services at St. Malachy's Church. [3] She served as president of the Rose Hill Neighborhood Association. [5] A fan of jazz music, Huston was a member of the Duke Ellington Society, and lobbied to have Ellington formally memorialized in New York City. [3] [2]
Huston lost a husband in World War Two. Huston met New Directions founder James Laughlin at a Halloween dance party in 1945. [4] The pair maintained an affair through both of Laughlin's earlier marriages, though they married on December 5, 1990. [1]
Gertrude Huston died in Norfolk, Connecticut, on August 26, 1998, after a long illness. [3]