The First Wearable Advertising

Pinback buttons are most closely associated with political campaigns to promote a candidate or a cause, and were considered the best advertising medium of all in the late 19th century. They were first developed in 1896 by the job printer, Whitehead & Hoag in New Jersey, after securing several important patents allowing them to print reverse designs onto celluloid. With the 1896 presidential election that same year, the buttons became an overnight success. Once advertisers saw it as an opportunity for promotion, W&H were steadily producing buttons at the rate of one million per day. Soon a new printing plant was built in Newark to accommodate their 50 new modern presses, a photo engraving plant, a complete art department and machinery plant. According to collector Ted Hake, several of the artists employed by W&H over the early years included Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish and Harrison Fisher. 
     The pinbacks displayed here are all part of various collections for sale on the Hake site. The circa 1910 "penmanship" pin with Lady Liberty shown above is considered rare and was presumably used as a reward to the student of good handwriting. I predict this pin will be considered even more prized now that penmanship has been relegated to an archaic pursuit by the common core standards educational initiative. Replacing it with texting dexterity perhaps... Below are many more early 20th century advertising pins for your viewing pleasure.

The Rebus Riddle Rhymes of Mother Goose

One can't help but fall in love with Joseph Low's spirited pen work. This video presentation takes a close view at some of my favorite works of his, from the playful Mother Goose Riddle Rhymes, first published in 1953 by Harcourt, Brace & Co., NY, which he co-wrote with his wife, Ruth Low. Joseph Low's expressive line art illustrations of rebus rhymes and riddles are perfectly paired with his fine type and hand lettering compositions. The New York Times later awarded it the "Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year" in 1953, and AIGA named it one of the top "Fifty Books of the Year" in 1954. Joseph Low (1911-2007) eventually achieved a long and varied career as a successful illustrator of books, magazine and album covers. In 1960 he acquired an old Washington hand press from a defunct newspaper and began his own private press, publishing short stories and poetry under the imprint "Eden Hill Press" from Newton, Connecticut. Prized by collectors, these limited edition books reveal his diverse talents as writer, illustrator, printer, typographer, and lettering artist.

::Source: Cligne Cligne Magazine

Orwellian REcovers

Since the recent leaks and revelations of the NSA surveillance program and the controversy over privacy rights, George Orwell's, 1984, has been at the top of many Summer reading lists. Are we all angry and paranoid readers? It would seem so. Currently, this classic dystopian novel sits at No. 56 on Amazon's top 100 bestsellers list; up from 12,507 just a week ago. That is an astonishing rise in sales of nearly 6000% for a book that was first published 64 years ago! And Amazon keeps track of all of our purchases in case the NSA needs this data as well. 
     Today seems like a perfect day for Letterology to take a look at some of the many published and unpublished portrayals of Orwell's popular book. The first unpublished example seen above is a particularly brilliant solution by the Adronaut design team, Patrick Pichler and Wolfgang Warzilek in Vienna. Below is one of my all-time favorite Penguin reissues designed by David Pearson.   
  

1984 as portrayed by Jon Vallance above. The three images below are of an unpublished 1984 version by Travis Roof, a former student in my book design course at Seattle Central Community College in the Fall of 2009. A particular favorite of mine;)

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Joanna Weiner's unpublished 1984 interpretation realizes a text solution. 

Artist Hadyn Symons in the UK cleverly illustrates his Orwell classic. Below is another unpublished example. This one by designer Emily Kouri.

This list of REcovers would be incomplete without this imagined version by Ben Jones in Manchester, England. It was submitted to a Call for Entries in 50 Watts' Polish Book Cover Contest several years ago. Contestants were asked to design the "Polish Edition" of their favorite book. Jones nailed it with his entry. 

Book designer Jon Gray does a nearly all-type solution for this Penguin reissue. 

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The first US paperback; a 1955 Signet pulp release.

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The very first UK edition of Orwell's 1984, released on June 8th, 1949. Below is the first published US edition found at Good is Dead. Neither design credits are listed. 

Swedish designer Olle Eksell (1919-2007) designed this cover in 1959.

BBC released this short documentary, The Beauty of Books: Part 4, several years ago, and it takes a close look at the range of Orwell's 1984 and the Clockwork Orange book covers. Definitely worth a watch. 
...is it just me, or does it sound like Big Brother is the narrator here?

Lifetimes of Achievement

The American Institute of Graphic Arts announced eight lifetime achievement in design awards earlier this year. The prestigious awards went out to John Bielenberg, William Drenttel and Jessica Helfand, Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones, Stefan Sagmeister, Lucille Tenazas, and Wolfgang Weingart. As part of the presentation of the 2013 AIGA Medal, the AIGA commissioned short videos about each of the winners. It is difficult to single out any of these winners, so take a look at all the other videos here. (Spoiler alert: Sagmeister arranges all of his books by color on the shelf.) 

From the AIGA: 
The medal of the AIGA, the most distinguished in the field, is awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of graphic design and visual communication. The contribution may be in the practice of graphic design, teaching, writing or leadership of the profession. ... Individuals who are honored may work in any country, but the contribution for which they are honored should have had a significant impact on the practice of graphic design in the United States.

The Man With the Beautiful Eyes

This five minute animated poem is the result of a beautiful collaboration between producer Jonathan Hodgson, gifted illustrator Jonny Hannah, and the poetry of Charles Bukowski (1920-1994). There is not one wasted word, line, nor brushstroke in all of it. The Man With the Beautiful Eyes was produced in the year 2000, and has collected countless awards including the BAFTA (British Academy for Film and Television Arts), for short animation. After featuring the Bukowski poem narrated by Tom Waits here last week, I happily discovered this jewel, and had to add it to the mix. So much of Hannah's illustration work includes hand lettering with roots in 19th century styles. Watch closely for Hannahs' strokes of lettering genius dash across the screen. This is the kind of work by which all others will be judged.    

11th Annual SVC Steamroller Smackdown

This past Saturday marked the 11th annual Steamroller Smackdown at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle. It was a grand three ring circus with a heavy metal marketplace of used type and materials, printer's and book artist vendors, food & live music by the twin Canote Brothers, keepsake poster printing in the letterpress studio, and a benefit auction. At center stage was a 2-ton steamroller for some parking lot printmaking fun. Creative teams assembled from all parts of the Northwest to design and print their oversized linoleum artworks. The grand prize trophy was awarded to Keegan Wenkman of Keegan Meegan for his Printing is Easy giant 2-color linocut poster.
::Above photos by Alex DeSpain. All other photos are my own except where noted.  

Sales of new & used type and printing equipment carry on under the big tent.

The pit crew at The Evolution Press reviews their 1st impression of the original Heidel-Rod.
::Photo by Jungstudio 

One of several rooms full of printing and book arts vendors. Below are a number of posters for sale from Keegan Meegan.
::Both of these pho by Alex DeSpain

David Black's robot prints. Black's Bots!

Jr. letterpress printer vendor, Aiden Wilkson proudly displays his 3 color print, X Press. Just behind his print I found a discreetly hidden stash of candy wrappers. Not sayin' who they belonged to.

Justin LaRosa of Physical Fiction takes the cake for his innovative Lego endeavors. (If it were me, I would have awarded him an honorary Hostess cupcake from the original old bakery next door to SVC). He's been doing this for some time actually, and gaining recognition as a Lego print meister. Justin made a type-high base to accommodate his little Lego parts and designs images with the patience of a hand typesetter. The multi-colored posters are printed on a large showcard press giving his illustrations the appearance of enlarged pixelated icons when completed.

Mare Blocker, of the M Kimberly Press displayed a handcut linoleum text.

Stumptown Printers of Portland, Oregon must have some really big presses to handle this wooden type. No wonder there are so many clearcuts in the Northwest!
     Much gratitudeness goes out to the good folks at SVC who have done so much to foster interest in the printing arts by continually organizing this festive event over the years! Making it safe to take printing to the streets!