A retrospective exhibition of Noguchi Hisamitsu, a graphic designer who was a pioneer in film poster design, titled "110th Anniversary of the Birth: Noguchi Hisamitsu Cinema Graphics," will be held at the Yokosuka Museum of Art from February 9 to March 31, 2019.

"The Adults Don't Understand," Film Poster, 1960

After graduating from Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts), Noguchi Hisamitsu joined the film distribution company Towa Shoji LLC (later Toho Towa), where he was responsible for posters for European films released in Japan. Using his richly expressive drawings and "kakimoji" (drawn letters) that match the title text to the world of his works, Noguchi created more than 1,000 posters over the approximately 30 years before and after the war. Noguchi's work had a major impact on the graphic design world of his time, and continues to shine even today, when computer-generated design is the norm.

This exhibition will introduce the diverse world of Noguchi Hisamitsu's graphic design through approximately 400 works and documents, including European film posters he created, as well as record jackets and magazine and book covers.

"French Cancan" (Large Format) Movie Poster, 1955

In the pre-war and post-war era, movies were a major form of entertainment. European films were particularly popular among these. Noguchi worked for Towa Shoji LLC, a company that handled European films, and designed posters for their Japanese releases, drawing many people into the fascinating world of European cinema. The exhibition will feature approximately 160 of Noguchi's most representative works from the more than 1,000 European film posters he created. This exhibition brings together posters from European films still considered classics, including "Forbidden Games," "French Cancan," "The Third Man," and "The 400 Countries."

"The Louis Armstrong All-Stars" LP record jacket, Teichiku Records/1977
Noguchi's deep knowledge of jazz and musicals led him to work as a music critic. In addition to the jazz record jackets he designed, the exhibition also features photoglyphs of jazz giants, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, with whom he was close friends, making it a must-see for jazz fans.

In addition, during the exhibition period, a related event, the "Yokosuka Museum of Art Seaside Jazz Concert" will be held at the museum's Sea Plaza on March 30th. Details of performers, as well as other events and lectures, will be announced on the museum's website (http://www.yokosuka-moa.jp) in due course.