Propaganda Design by Will Burtin during Early Cold War

USIA's Information Strategy "Kalamazoo" Exhibition

Abstract

This paper focuses on the German immigrant designer Will Burtin (1908-1972) and his design for the United States Information Agency (USIA) on the Midwestern city of Kalamazoo. First, the USIA's policy toward the Soviet Union and its political background will be examined. Second, we clarified the Kalamazoo exhibitionand a relationship between the USIA and Burtin. Third, we discuss his idea of the Kalamazoo traveling exhibition in Berlin. In conclusion, we situate the immigrant designers' phase of cooperation for U.S. political strategy during the Cold War in the history of design.