John Langdon’s Life Celebrated in Exhibition at the Rincliffe Gallery

The Drexel Founding Collection will host an exhibition about the life and works of John Langdon, a longtime Drexel typography professor, who passed away earlier this year.

John Langdon: Symmetry & Ambiguity will run from now through Feb. 2027. The exhibit will take place at the Rincliffe Gallery which is located in Drexel’s Main Building on the third floor (3142 Chestnut Street) and is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Langdon, who retired from Drexel 11 years ago, created ambigrams – words that can be read from left to right, upside down or from multiple viewpoints – since the 1970s. His work was used in promoting Ron Howard’s film “Angels & Demons,” the follow up to the international blockbuster “The DaVinci Code.” The film, which was based on the novel by Dan Brown, featured Tom Hanks at its protagonist. Hanks’ character, not by coincidence, shared the same last name as Langdon.

There will be approximately 20 pieces of Langdon’s art and artwork collection in the exhibition, including Langdon’s Rorschach painting titled “Andy Warhol,” an original bronze printing block for the ambigram “Philadelphia City of Brotherly Love,” and some of his logo play like the painting “Cerealism”, also known as “Great puns.”

Langdon passed away on Jan. 1 at the age of 79. He taught at Drexel from 1988 to 2015. Drexel will host a Celebration of Life & Reception for Langdon on Sunday, Oct, 18 at 1 p.m.

The exhibit is presented by Mark Stockton, co-director of Drexel’s Pearlstein Gallery and teaching professor in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. It was designed by Emma Yashinsky, graphic design ’27.