In the final days of the fall semester, students in the Advanced Visual Communication Design class taught by Meaghan Dee, associate professor of graphic design in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, had the opportunity to experience the unfolding of a mystery.

The School of Visual Arts students and Dee, along with Sarah Stanley, head of the Art and Architecture Library, worked together to open a sealed tube containing a collection of Swiss letterpress posters that were part of a collection donated to University Libraries in 2023 by retired Purdue University Professor Dennis Ichiyama.

According to Dee, Ichiyama was able to grow his collection of posters through connections he made as a Basel School of Design student. “While he was studying there, he met the people that organized the yearly official collection of Swiss posters, and for decades he would be mailed a tube containing a complete set of posters for that year, ranging from advertisements to art exhibition announcements,” said Dee.

“He found one unopened tube and decided to mail it to us unopened, so we could experience the sort of surprise and delight that he had when he originally received shipments of posters.”

Related video: Swiss poster collection inspires next generation of designers

Related story: Rare vintage Swiss poster collection finds a home at Virginia Tech

Written by Ashley Falat, a junior communications major at Virginia Tech, and Krista Timney

Two people hold a paper mailing tube upright as a roll of posters slide out the open end on the bottom and other watch.
The first step in unfolding the mystery was to actually get the posters out of the tube. “At first, the posters were a bit tightly wound inside. We used gravity to help us gently remove them — and we were thankful they were all still intact,” said Dee. Photo by Krista Timney for Virginia Tech.
What thoughts were going through Dee’s head as the posters were revealed? “I wonder what is inside! And, oh my gosh, I hope we don't tear anything.” Photo by Krista Timney for Virginia Tech.
What thoughts were going through Dee’s head as the posters were revealed? “I wonder what is inside! And, oh my gosh, I hope we don't tear anything.” Photo by Krista Timney for Virginia Tech.
Four people stand in front of a series of posters lying on a wooden table that they are in the process of sliding down the table from one person to the next.
Once the posters were out of the tube and on the table, the students, Dee, and Stanley formed a line to separate and reveal, for the first time, each work of art. “We knew that we wanted to open the tube with students because it is meant to be a teaching collection,” said Dee “The more firsthand experiences we can provide for students, the better. I believe they understood a bit more about what goes into collecting and preserving works. Many of them hadn't seen the rest of the collection, so it was great to explore some of the pieces with them.” Photo by Krista Timney for Virginia Tech.
A woman holds a poster depicting a warrior in armor in both hands, lifting it above a stack of other posters lying on a wooden table, while two other people look on and hold the posters down that are on the table.
The subject matter of the posters ranged from advertising to art and museum exhibitions, with illustrations that included trains, armor-clad warriors, and an Edward Hopper painting. Once the posters were separated and lying flat on the table, the ends could be weighted down with books or small beanbags. Photo by Krista Timney for Virginia Tech.
A paper poster lying flat on a wooden table with weights lying across the surface at various points that are small cloth bags with something inside.
One of the posters that Dee hopes will influence and inspire the students. “It is a much different experience to view the posters in real life at full scale, rather than seeing them a few inches big on a screen or in a book,” said Dee. “Additionally, you get to see the printing techniques and little details the designers considered.” Photo by Krista Timney for Virginia Tech.

Contact:

Tags

Share this story