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i designed good covers for many questionable commodities. i worked fast and well and my projects came in at or below the budget. i flattered the men, got paid, and then went home to cook dinner. —barbara stauffacher solomon

A caricature depicting a blonde girl sitting next to a yak

Scanlan’s Monthly Magazine, volume 1, № 3, May 1970. Page 1.

before basel

Barbara Solomon was born in San Francisco. During her adolescence she trained as a dancer and studied painting at the California School of Fine Arts. Later she married Frank Stauffacher, an experimental film director, best known for introducing European avant-garde techniques to American viewers. From 1948 to 1955 Barbara studied various subjects, including history, painting, ballet, and philosophy. In 1955 her husband died from a brain tumor, leaving Barbara to care for their daughter Chloe, then three years old.

Frank Stauffacher and Barbara Stauffacher Solomon with their daughter Chloe

Frank Stauffacher and Barbara Stauffacher Solomon with their daughter Chloe. The still is from Christian Bruno's 2018 short film Visions Not Previously Seen: The Groundbreaking Design Work of Barbara Stauffacher Solomon.

learn some rules. if you are brilliant enough, you can break all the rules. if not, you will be competent at your profession. —armin hoffman to barbara stauffacher solomon

 

A page with a word 'Colorists'

Colorists poster made by Barbara Stauffacher Solomon.

studying under hoffman

 

Having no means to earn a living with her current skills, Barbara decided to become a graphic designer. She moved to Switzerland and enrolled in the Basel Art Institute to study under Armin Hoffman, one of the leading figures in the Swiss Style movement. The first task Hoffman gave her was to paint a complete Latin alphabet in Helvetica by eye. The assignment took six months. Hoffman’s training shaped her strong ties to Helvetica, which lasted throughout her career.

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