Carl Zahn

March 9, 1928 - Feb. 27, 2012 Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. As a senior at Male High School, a supportive teacher encouraged him to apply to Harvard University. He received the Pierce Butler Atwood Scholarship, which afforded him the opportunity to attend a college that was far from home. He was accepted to Harvard in 1945 and graduated in 1949 with an A.B. He met his first wife and mother of his three children through their mutual participation in the The Harvard Glee Club.. After they both graduated from Harvard and Radcliffe, they married and settled into an apartment in New York City. He then began work at the advertising agency of Benton & Bowles and attended night classes at Cooper Union to hone his art and design skills. In 1956, he was offered a position at the Museum Of Fine Arts Boston, as a designer of exhibits and the related publications. Eventually he became the Director of Publications for the Museum and remained in this post until 1997. During this very busy time, he somehow managed to design books and logos on a freelance basis, as well as teach at the Museum School in Boston. His work at the MFA included book designs of some of the world's most notable artists, such as Andrew Wyeth, [a2587878] and Hermann Zapf. Their trust in his ability to document and showcase their work with a superior sensitivity to design, printing and typography earned him a reputation as an artists' artist. After retiring from the MFA, he and his second wife decided to leave the cold winters of Boston and divide their time between his home in Boston and a new home in Sarasota. But, he could never retire the creative forces, and after the death of his wife, he founded Museum Publishing Partners with long-time friend and associate, Cynthia Purvis. In addition to being a talented visual artist, Carl Zahn was a talented vocalist. His singing began at age 11 in the church choir and he continued to sing in churches throughout his college career. During the 1970's and early '80s, he joined the [a1174797] and Chorus Pro Musica, and after moving to Sarasota, he joined the Gloria Musicae.