​As a student in the MFA Graphic Design Program at Yale, Charles Gibson continued to explore and build upon his interest in poster design. The circus poster was one of two assignments given by Paul Rand, and, not unexpectedly, shows strong influences from this American master. The poster for the Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments was part of the Designer’s thesis project in environmental graphics for the campus building that housed Yale’s collection of historic instruments. At the same time, the poster provided a vehicle for the “c” logo, a product of intensive development in Armin Hofmann’s annual workshop in type and image. In his second year, Charles Gibson was awarded the Yale Symphony’s annual design package of posters and print collateral for the Orchestra’s 1975-1976 season. The poster for the YSO’s First American Tour features a dramatic juxtaposition of a violin-derived “graphic translation” and a continuous tone photograph of a patchwork textile.