Among contemporary designers and photographers the name of Alexey Brodovitch (1898-1971) is legendary. Brodovitch was one of the pioneers of graphic design in the 20th century. This book is a comprehensive monograph on Brodovitch's life and work, drawing on published interviews and research.

Kerry William Purcell includes many quotes from original interviews with Brodovitch's friends, colleagues and fellow photographers. The book is divided into six roughly chronological chapters, beginning with Brodovitch's childhood in Russia and his early design work in the 1920s, and ending with his last difficult and solitary years in New York, when he battled alcoholism and ill health.

Emigre: The Formative Years - Harper's Bazaar: Paper Movies - Design Lab: The Theater of Invention - Photography: The Revolutionary Eye - Portfolio: The Gift to be Simple - Alexey Brodovitch: Postscript - Notes - Bibliography - Index