Megg’s History of Graphic Design, 6th edition
100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design
By Stephen Heller
New edition of a classic reference work. The online edition does not contain images.
Protest: A History of Social and Political Protest Graphics
By Liz McQuiston
Begins in the 1500s with the Protestant Reformation; the emphasis is on the twentieth century, but ample consideration is given to the last twenty years. The perspective is western, perhaps limited by the ephemeral nature of the materials surveyed. An excellent primer on protest graphics, and graphics generally.
Women in Design From Aino Aalto to Eva Zeisel
By Charlotte Fiell
A survey of selected influential women in all areas of design: advertising, architecture, fashion, furniture, and more.
Encyclopedia of the Black Arts Movement
Edited by Verner D. Mitchell and Cynthia Davis
Not just Design – music, literature, and more. This volume defines the Black Arts movement as occurring between the late 1950s and the 1970s. That is arguable. Whether it is truly encyclopedic is also arguable. This highly praised volume is a necessary endeavor, and a provocation to further scholarship.