Science, Politics, and Visual Design in Cold War America: Will Burtin’s “Cell”

Abstract

In 1958, graphic designer Will Burtin’s (1908–1972) large-scale model of a basic cell, made of plastic and flashing lights, opened at the annual convention of the American Medical Association. It had been commissioned by Upjohn Pharmaceuticals, and was received with great enthusiasm. It subsequently traveled internationally, appearing widely in print and on television, and then settling for permanent exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. This interactive, multimedia exhibition was an example of a specific approach to scientific visualization that manifested new attitudes toward the power of visual material for American social progress. In the context of the Cold War, certain ways of employing “the visual” were deemed to be conducive to securing individual agency and human mental freedom. In the realm of mid-century corporate science and technology display, where designers and businessmen worked closely together, these new design techniques helped to make corporate activity appear coherent with these democratic ideals. An analysis of the sensory experience of the Upjohn cell model and its circulation demonstrates the key role that visual technology played in defining American citizenship as a practice of viewing visual media. Burtin’s design projects helped to affirm relationships between progress, democracy, and Western capitalism during the Cold War period.