George Salter was born Georg Salter on October 5, 1897, in Bremen, Germany, according to his naturalization papers, World War II draft card and marriage license. His parents were Norbert Salter and Stefanie Klein. Classic Book Jackets: The Design Legacy of George Salter (2005) tells the story of his life and education before immigrating to the United States in 1934.
On November 8, 1934, Salter (line 24) was aboard the steamship Albert Ballin when it departed Hamburg, Germany. He arrived in the port of New York on November 16.
Salter began the naturalization process on July 9, 1935.
The 1940 United States Census erroneously said Salter (line 53) was married to “Stephanie” who was actually was his mother. Also in the household was his sister. They resided in Manhattan at 33 East 22nd Street. He was a self-employed artist.
Five months later, Salter became a naturalized citizen on September 19, 1940.
On February 16, 1942, Salter signed his World War II draft card. His Manhattan address was 40 East 10th Street. Salter was employed at the Cooper Union School of Art. His description was five feet seven inches, 170 pounds, with brown eyes and hair.
Salter and Agnes V. O’Shea obtained a Manhattan marriage license number 14433 on July 17, 1942. They married on July 22. Salter became uncle to Miriam Woods, his former student at Cooper Union.
According to the 1950 census, Salter’s address was the same. His occupation was designer and teacher (line 4), and his trade was making freelance book jackets. Their daughter, Janet, was adopted in 1946.
Salter passed away on October 31, 1967. Obituaries appeared in The New York Times, November 1, 1967 and The Villager, November 9, 1967. He was laid to rest at Dawes Cemetery. The headstone was designed by Miriam Woods.
Further Reading and Viewing
German Designers, George S. Salter
Print, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Book Jacket Designers
Sharp Type, Ogg
Wellesley College, George Salter (1897–1967)
Bookbinding & Book Production, February 1942
Bookbinding & Book Production, June 1944
The Inland Printer, October 1944, Calligraphy’s Flowering, Decay & Restoration
The Inland Printer, November 1944, Calligraphy’s Flowering, Decay & Restoration
Print, Fall 1945
(Next post on Monday: Miriam Woods, Lettering Artist and Book Jacket Designer)
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