Elektra, Asylum and Nonesuch Records

Glaser designed for many different facets of the recording industry—eye-catching promotional posters and album covers, but also company logos and brand identities. In 1983, he designed the logo for Elektra Records, as well as its subsidiaries Asylum and Nonesuch.

The Elektra and Nonesuch logos in particular draw on the labels’ rich history, using the twisted end of a a guitar string and bars of musical notations as foundation of their respective designs. During the 1950s and early '60s, Elektra concentrated on folk-music recordings, and was soon one of the first labels to sign acts from the new wave of American psychedelic rock in 1967. In 1964, they launched the best-selling classical budget label Nonesuch, which later became a pioneer in "world music" well before the term had been coined.

Elektra, with Nonesuch in tow, merged with Asylum Records, founded by David Geffen, to become Elektra/Asylum Records in 1972.

Many thanks to Beth Kleber for bringing these to our attention. The Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives, part of the Visual Arts Foundation and housed within the SVA Library, is an unmatched resource for those interested in diving deeper into Glaser’s work—visit them here.

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