Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Martin J. Weber Graphic Arts Collection
Weber, Carl
Weber, Martin J., 1905-2007
NMAH.AC.1209
Archival Resource Key
0.75 Cubic feet
2 boxes
1931-1980
This collection features business documents, legal papers, and examples of prints from Martin J. Weber, who pioneered the "Weber Process."
English
.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into nine series.
Series 1: Articles, 1931-1971
Series 2: Awards, 1931-1971
Series 3: Business Documents, 1931-1971
Series 4: Correspondence, 1931-1971
Series 5: Legal Documents, 1931-1971
Series 6: Prints, 1931-1980
Series 7: Weber Process Documents, 1931-1971
Series 8: Photographs, 1931-1971
Series 9: Large Prints, 1931-1971
Scope and Contents
This collection documents the Weber Process for printing that made images on paper appear more three dimensional, as well as the photomechanical apparatus Weber developed to implement it . The collection contains patent documents, contracts and business papers, correspondence, design drawings, advertisements for the Weber Process and for his studio, and a paper he delivered to the American Photo Engravers Association. It also contains numerous samples of Weber's work, including magazines covers and advertisements, annual reports from companies featuring images enhanced by Weber, brochures, and other printed material.
Preferred Citation
Martin J. Weber Graphic Arts Collection, 1931-1971, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Archives Center by Martin J. Weber's son, Carl Weber, 2011.
Biographical / Historical
Martin J. Weber was born in 1905 and worked as a graphic artist, inventor and typographer in the commercial art industry into his eighties. He died in 2007 at the age of 102.
Weber invented and patented the Weber Process in 1942, which utilized a photomechanical apparatus that altered images and text photographically to give pattern, texture, and shadow. Also known as Posterization, the process gave two-dimensional surfaces the "illusion of being reproduced in three dimensions" by printing multiple layers offset from one another. Weber helped to define the look of mid-twentieth century American advertising art, offering a "low-cost way of simulating multiple color reproduction." The process revolutionized lithography, screen printing, and standard printing, and later influenced computer typography.
Sources
Heller, Steven. "Martin Weber in the Third Dimension." Design Observer. June 19, 2007. Accessed August 03, 2016. http://designobserver.com/article.php?id=5657.
Processing Information
Collection was processed by Holly Nelson, intern, 2016.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Advertisements -- 20th century
Annual reports -- 20th century
Printing
Patents
Printing machinery and supplies
Correspondence -- 20th century
Design drawings
Business records
Contracts
Magazines (periodicals) -- 20th century
Inventors
Graphic arts
Graphic artists
Articles
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
Articles
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
1
Awards
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
Awards
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
2
Business Documents
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
Office Documents
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
3
Financial Papers
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
4
Correspondence
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
American Optical Company
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
5
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
6
Legal Documents
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
Contracts
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
7
Patents
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
8
Photomechanical Apparatus Patent
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
9
Prints
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
1931-1980
AD Publishing
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
10
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
11-12
Miscellaneous, bound booklet
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
13
NBC Radio Network
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
14
Newsweek covers
Archival Resource Key
1970-1980
1
15
Panhandle Eastern Annual Report
Archival Resource Key
1970
1
16
Productionwise
Archival Resource Key
1956
1
17
Schenley Industries Annual Report
Archival Resource Key
1953-1954
1
18
Stamps
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
19
Standard Oil Annual Report
Archival Resource Key
1962
1
20
Weber Process Documents
Series 7
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
Weber Process Documents
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
1
21
Photographs
Series 8
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
Photomechanical Apparatus Patent Photographs
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
1
Weber Photographs
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
2
Large Prints
Series 9
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
3
People
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
4
Screen prints
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
5
United Nations stamp
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
6
American Optical Company Diagrams
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
7
Caproni Galleries Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
8
Newspaper clippings
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
9
Weber Process pamphlet
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
10
Patent photo engraved surfaces for printing textile fabrics
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
11
Photomechanical Printing Apparatus Diagram
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
12
Sketches
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
2
13
Oversize cigarette posters
Archival Resource Key
1931-1971
3