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Object Timeline

-0001

1972

  • Work on this object began.

1981

  • We acquired this object.

  • We exhibited this object.

2015

2025

  • You found it!

Poster, The Invisible City

This is a Poster. It is dated 1972 and we acquired it in 1981. Its medium is offset lithograph on white wove paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

Chermayeff’s famous poster uses a system of found typography to represent an international conference of designers.

This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Leaving on a Jetplane to Aspen.

It is credited Gift of Chermayeff and Geismar Associates.

Our curators have highlighted 4 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

  • Signature Piece Necklace
  • mass-produced metal-rimmed key tags, ink.
  • The Susan Grant Lewin Collection, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
  • 2016-34-99

Its dimensions are

91.6 × 61.1 cm (36 1/16 × 24 1/16 in.)

It is signed

Printed in white ink, vertically, lower right of design: Ivan Chermayeff

It is inscribed

Printed in white ink, lower right: Copyright © 1972 IDCA, International Design Conference in Aspen, The Invisible City. Champion Paper Javelin Coated Offset/80 lb.

Cite this object as

Poster, The Invisible City; USA; offset lithograph on white wove paper; 91.6 × 61.1 cm (36 1/16 × 24 1/16 in.); Gift of Chermayeff and Geismar Associates; 1981-29-59

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Ephemeral Images: Recent American Posters.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

For higher resolution or commercial use contact ArtResource.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-4.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18618197/ |title=Poster, The Invisible City |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=11 February 2025 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>