Dowd on history of illustration and its resonance with contemporary practitioners
2026-05-26 •
In April 2026, D.B. Dowd, professor and chair of undergraduate design, published his latest book, “Reading Pictures: A History of Illustration” (Princeton University Press). The richly illustrated book reframes the story of illustration within the broader histories of race, gender, literacy, and the transmission of cultural memory.
Dowd joined a series of podcasts in spring 2026 to discuss the themes addresed in “Reading Pictures.”
Chair, Undergraduate Design | Faculty Director, Dowd Illustration Research Archive | Professor
Published by Princeton University Press in 2026, “Reading Pictures: A Cultural History of Illustration,” tells the story of illustration as a dimension of and contributor to the rise of reading in North America, Europe, and East Asia from the fifteenth century to the twenty-first.