Design 
24 October 2019
Design 
338

Erik Nitsche

USS Nautilus, General Dynamics poster (from the Atoms for Peace series)

Switzerland, 1955
lithograph on paper 50¼ h × 35½ w in (128 × 90 cm)
estimate: $3,000–5,000
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Printed to edge 'Erik Nitsche Printed in Switzerland Lithos R. Marsens Lausanne'. This work is from the edition printed by Lithos R. Marsens, Lausanne and is a rare English language variant.

print

In 1955, the General Dynamics Corporation commissioned artist Erik Nitsche to design a series of posters that would ease public concerns about atomic energy without revealing the details of their classified projects. His Atoms for Peace campaign included the present lot, a poster featuring the artist’s interpretation of the USS Nautilus, the design of which was so top-secret that Nitsche was provided only a basic idea of what the submarine would ultimately look like. The resulting design is emblematic of postwar innovation and progress, evoking an optimistic and distinctly modern view of the future.

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