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Willem Sandberg (1897-1984) was director of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam between 1945-63. (...),he also designed almost all of the posters, catalogues and graphic material for the museum – an unusual activity for a museum director.

With the belief that art should be integrated into daily life, Sandberg introduced an education program and modernized the museum by transforming it into an inviting environment with a library, reading room, a restaurant and an auditorium with a film- and music program. Already in 1938 he whitewashed the interior of the museum and in 1954 he added an extension to the building. The year before he retired he replaced the solid wooden doors of the entrance into huge transparent glass doors. Sandberg constantly aimed to lower the threshold of the museum to make it more appealing and easy to access for everybody.