138:, in 1927, where he immediately designed the Firth 'Ironclad' Logo, which would remain part of the company’s image for over forty years. During this period Firth was increasingly influenced by new trends of modernism coming out of Europe, specifically from the Bauhaus. Contemporary Bill Haythornthwaite recalls: "we used to pick up the original Bauhaus material coming out of Germany from the library before Hitler wrecked it (sic)". Firth's lack of formal graphic design training seems to have served him well, given that at this time, design training was essential an art historical exercise in the European masters; “a year drawing Italian sculptures and that sort of thing”. This lack of adherence to tradition allowed Firth to explore new avenues in design.
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varying weight and density of the type in his compositions in order to draw attention and add emphasis. This may seem common today, but in the context of the day, where the standard approach towards typography in advertisement was to get the most 'bang for the buck'; stripping out elements and adding emphasis through type variation was a highly novel and ‘modern’ concept.
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Unlike Firth's typographical work, influenced by
European Modernism, Firth's photography was evocative of Hollywood glamour shots of the era. Firth set up his photographic studio with his wife Patricia in 1938. The war years proved to be a lucrative period for Firth's photography, taking photos for
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which were highly innovative in their use of typography, compared to the bulk of graphic design being produced in New
Zealand at that time. Firth's designs used features such as sans serif faces and asymmetrical compositions. All ornamentation and superfluous elements stripped out, Firth used the
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those heading off to war, both of the soldiers for those they left behind, and of the soldiers sweethearts to take with them to war.
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Born in 1904, the eldest son of Edward
Thompson Clifton Firth, a manufacturer and inventor, and his wife, Blanch Emily Banks.
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and photographer. Influenced by writings of the
Bauhaus and contemporaries, especially the Swiss typographer
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Firth designed advertisements for Firth
Concrete, and later the New Zealand architecture magazine
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Work by
Clifton Firth in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
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Significant is Firth's use of typography; likely influenced by Jan
Tschichold's
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Eagleson, Kate (August 1996). "Clifton Firth: The
Typographic Work".
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On his retirement in 1974, Firth gave much of his surviving work to
278:. Berlin: Verlag des Bildungsverbandes der Deutschen Buchdrucker.
102:(1907–1980) were his younger brothers. Firth was the grandson of
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Die Neue
Typographie: Ein Handbuch für Zeitgemäss Schaffende
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Firth became advertising designer for the family company,
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The New
Typography: A Handbook for Modern Designers
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192:"Firth, Edward Buckland and Firth, Guy Mortimer"
384:Real Gold, Treasures of Auckland City Libraries
292:Real Gold: Treasures of Auckland City Libraries
249:Interview with Kate Eagleson, 19 September 1995
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347:Tschichold, Jan (1995). McLean, Ruari (ed.).
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351:. Berkeley: University of California Press.
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86:during and after the Second World War.
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333:. Auckland: Godwit. pp. 56–58.
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373:Auckland Libraries: Clifton Firth
65:Graphic designer and photographer
331:40 Legends of New Zealand Design
263:. Basel: Benno Schwabe & Co.
329:Lloyd Jenkins, Douglas (2006).
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378:Heritage et AL: Clifton Firth
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392:The Necessity of Modernism
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261:Typographische Gestaltung
222:"Firth, Reginald Clifton"
220:Gillam, Jennifer (2000).
143:Typographische Gestaltung
338:Tschichold, Jan (1967).
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190:Stanley, R. D. (1998).
90:Biographical background
72:Reginald Clifton Firth
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340:Asymmetric Typography
289:Sharp, Iain (2007).
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402:Gillam, Jennifer. "
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322:Modern New Zealand
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177:References
100:Tony Firth
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84:Auckland
232:4 April
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386:– Arts
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