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In-Person Tours

Exhibition Tour: Piet Zwart: Brand Architect

with Rob Saunders

Curator-led walk-through of our current exhibition.

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The brilliant Dutch modernist Piet Zwart described himself as a “typotekt”. The term captured his multidisciplinary approach, creating a legacy that bridged architecture, industrial design, interior design, graphic design, typography, and photography. Drawing from Letterform Archive’s deep collection of Zwart’s work, this exhibition explores his iconic graphic identity programs for Nederlandse Kabelfabriek Delft (NKF), Dutch Postal Telegraph and Telephone Company (PTT), Bruynzeel Lumber Company, and others.

From the 1920s to the 1960s, Zwart profoundly influenced both the Netherlands and the international graphic design community, and many of his works are celebrated as milestones in design history. His signature photomontages, playful type compositions, and bold color fields elevated everyday subjects into platforms for graphic experimentation, leaving a lasting imprint on future generations of designers.

Your guide for this special tour is Executive Curator, Rob Saunders.

Rob Saunders

Rob Saunders, Executive Director and Curator, (he/him), is a designer, teacher, publisher, and management consultant, who has collected graphic design and letterforms for over 40 years. Rob began his career teaching at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and Tufts University, while serving freelance clients and agencies, before founding a book publishing enterprise that included Alphabet Press (graphic design), Picture Book Studio (children’s books), and Rabbit Ears Books (book/audio packages), which was eventually acquired by Simon & Schuster. Prior to founding Letterform Archive he served as a creative and marketing consultant with clients in the hospitality, technology, and financial industries.

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