1911-1995
TOPEKA, KANSAS

      While earning his bachelor's degree in economics at Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas, Bradbuy Thompson humbly began in the field of editorial design as the editor and designer of the college yearbook. Upon graduation in 1934, Thompson first worked for Capper Publications designing books and magazines. Four years later he moved to New York where he was art director for the printing firm Rogers-Kellogg-Stillson until 1941.

      In 1938 he became the editor and designer for Westvaco Inspirations for Printers, to showcase the performance of typography, photography, art, and printing techniques on the company's papers. While at Westvaco, Thompson demonstrated not only the aptidues of the paper but the playfulness and variety graphic design can achieve.

       Parallel to Inspirations, Thompson maintained an active practice by serving as art directionr for the Office of War Information's publications division (1942–1945), art director of Mademoiselle magazine (1945–1959), and design director of Art News and Art News Annual (1945–1972).

      Overall, he designed the format for more than 30 magazines. He was also design consultant for Pitney Bowes and McGraw-Hill Publications and a facutly member at Yale School of Art beginning in 1956. On a more diminutive scale, Thompson became a member of the U.S. Postal Service Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee in 1969 and, over the course of his career, designed approximately 100 stamps.

      Thompson was also curious about typography itself. In the year 1950 he introduced Alphabet 26, a classic serif typeface in a single case, foregoing the distinction between upper and lowercase.

      Bradbury Thompson passed away in 1995 in New York as one of the most genuinely admired and influental graphic designers of the 20th century.