Dorothy Shepard
Dorothy Shepard was one of the first female modernist designers in the world, one whose career mirrored the growth and influence of the United Sates at the height of 20th Century. She is primarily noted for her work for P.K. Wrigley, serving the creative needs of Wrigley’s key business interests: establishing Catalina Island as a tourist destination, and Wrigley’s Chewing Gum.
Career Biography
Born Dorothy Van Gorder in 1906 to Arthur Grant Van Gorder and Jessie Van Gorder of Berkeley, CA, Dorothy showed an early aptitude for learning, art, dance, and theater. She graduated from high school as class valedictorian in less than 3 years. Then at California School of Arts and Crafts, she once again graduated in 3 years and was again class valedictorian. In 1927, just after her graduation, 21-yr-old Dorothy was hired as an artist at Foster & Kleiser Advertising in San Francisco.[1]
Otis Shepard
It was at Foster & Kleiser that she worked closely with Art Director Otis Shepard.[citation needed]
P. K. Wrigley
It was in 1932 Philip K. Wrigley assumed the reins of his namesake company after his father William Wrigley had passed, and the Shepards were hired on to be the go-to creative team for all of his corporate interests.[2] In 1936 Wrigley asked Dorothy to spearhead the development of newly acquired advertising space in Times Square in New York City. Dorothy designed a massive neon Wrigley display – eight stories tall and one block long – one of the largest neon installations ever built, even to this day. The next year, Dorothy won a National Advertising Council Award for it.[citation needed]
Catalina Island
Dorothy's signature minimalist style is most prominently evident in her work for Catalina Island. Bold, simple and graphical, Dorothy and husband Otis drew on both Spanish and Native American influences, designing the street signage, interior designs, tile design, textiles, murals, the staff uniforms, leaflets, pamphlets, and advertisements. Much of this work can still be appreciated on the island to this day.[citation needed]
Personal Life
She married Otis Shepard on November 8, 1929. While they would reunite later in life, Dorothy divorced Otis in the 1940’s, which paused many of their creative collaborations. They came to be together again in the early 1960’s, remaining together until Otis’s death in 1969. Dorothy Shepard died in December of 2000, in Belvedere, CA.[citation needed]
Further Reading
- Hathaway, Norman; Nadel, Dan (2014-11-04). Dorothy and Otis: Designing the American Dream. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-226243-1. Search this book on
References
- ↑ Hathaway, Norman; Nadel, Dan (2014-11-04). Dorothy and Otis: Designing the American Dream. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-226243-1. Search this book on
- ↑ Marks, Ben. "Double the Fun: The Husband-Wife Team Who Made Everyone Want to Chew Gum". Collectors Weekly. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
- ↑ "Eye Magazine | Feature | The first couple of American billboards". www.eyemagazine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
- ↑ Northover, Jim (Summer 2014). "The first couple of American billboards: Otis and Dorothy Shepard, the 'Scott and Zelda' of mid-century advertising graphics, were neglected when design history was written. A new book brings their colourful legacy into vivid focus". 23 (89).
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