The best typography of the 1950s, as chosen by experts

Section of Saul Bass poster for Hitchock's Vertigo showcasing his distinctive lettering
(Image credit: Public Domain)

The 1950s were a transformative decade for the Western World. As post-war economies flourished in North America and many European countries, the rise of mass production and advertising led to a booming consumer culture, with new appliances, cars, and other goods becoming increasingly available.

It was also a time that saw type design embrace new technologies and Modernist principles. Most notable of the era's typography trends was the rise of the International Typographic Style, a movement originating in Switzerland that emphasised clarity, objectivity and functionality.

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Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects. 

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