Friday 20 May 2011

Melville Vaughn Millbourn (27 Chicago Designers)

Melville Vaughn Millbourn
(1893-1987)
Graphic designer- Linoleum cut printer,
Member of the 27 Chicago Designers.





Melville Vaughn Millbourn, was a Chicago-based graphic designer and a member of the 27 Chicago Designers. He owned a Chicago Loop-based design firm, illustrated for Encyclopedia Britannica and taught at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. His artistic interests included typography, linoleum printing, zinc plates and plant life. Millbourn taught classes in lettering, advertising, printing and reproducing from the mid 1920's to the mid 1980's. His firm created letterheads, Christmas cards and designed promotional materials for other companies.In the Collections of the Chicago University of Illinois I traced the existence of at least 20 examples of his work. Stored in 26 boxes are the surviving 6-9 color blocks. Learning he combined linoleum printing with the use of zinc plates. Explaining the very fine, line engraved, detaling in some of the flower/botanical prints. I share those prints I was able collect from the Internet. And that have enough resolution for screendisplay. I found some more but because of the very small size hardly presentable. Maybe, hopefully, readers will add some more.The biographical sketch I borrowed from the University of Illinois Archive Inventories.




Next: Fred Thomas Larson (1868-1944), also member of the 27 Chicago Desingers

2 comments:

  1. thanks Gerrie - you dig up some amazing facts about these neglected printmakers.

    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Mike, such compliments are always welcome and very much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete