Paul Rand's Work Exhibited at the Museum of the City of New York

The designer's exhibit encompasses the six decades of his career as a visionary of modern branding.

Courtesy of IBM Corporate ArchivesIBM pavilion at the New York World's Fair, 1964. IBM logo and graphic identity designed by Paul Rand.

Paul Rand, whose most iconic work includes the design of corporate logos, was a man whose name itself had been re-imagined as a corporate identity. Two- 4 letter names, easily remembered and difficult to escape from one's memory—similar to his ABC logo, seen by millions on television screens for generations.

Museum of the City of New YorkAD magazine, Volume 7, 1939, with cover design by Paul Rand.

Paul Rand, who started his career as Peretz Rosenbaum, slowly expanded his portfolio in between work and class. Launching his professional career with magazine covers, he revolutionized advertising as an art director on Madison Avenue. The exhibition, on show at the Museum of the City of New York, is comprised of six entities, and features 150 pieces of Rand's work, including his pioneering rebranding campaigns for IBM and UPS (unusual color combinations, bold typefaces, straightforward company messages).

Courtesy of IBM Corporate ArchivesIBM facility in Rochester Minnesota. IBM logo and graphic identity designed by Paul Rand.

“Paul Rand refashioned the advertising industry in New York City and introduced the concept of branding and logo recognition,” said Susan Henshaw Jones, the Ronay Menschel Director at the City Museum, in a press release. “People all over the world are familiar with the work he created, which lives on today, and we are thrilled that visitors will now get more acquainted with the mastermind behind it.”

The exhibition is on view from Feb. 25 to July 19, 2015.