Modernism – Page 11

Ladislav Sutnar on Package Design

Here are some scans from a great source of inspiration. It’s from the Ladislav Sutnar book “Package Design: The force of Visual Selling”. I’m posting some of my favorites but the whole book is amazing.

It seems that back then packaging was way more typographic with a lot of solid colors and negative space or at least they were more open to it. Right now packaging is full of warnings, nutritional facts, messages everywhere, gradients, etc. We should go back to simple design.

1. Singer’s ‘ Dörli ‘ zweiback package designed by Rolf Rappaz [Basel].
2. Atkins ‘Dream Polish’ designed by Ladislav Sutnar [1946].
3. ‘Air-Wick’ label designed by Paul Rand [Seeman Brothers, 1953].
4. ‘Bab-o’ cleanser experimental package by Paul Rand [B. T. Babbitt Inc., 1953].
5. ‘Johnny Mop’ toilet bowl cleaner [Personal Products Corporation, 1952].
6. Scotts Lawn Seed. [O. M. Scott & Sons Co., 1952].
7. O-Cedar ‘Dry-Glo’ designed by Raymond Loewy Associates [1952].
8. ‘Armour Star’ coordinated package design with dominating trademark, designed by Raymond Loewy Associates.
9. Simoniz ‘Bodygard’ liquid car wax designed by Lester Beall [1951, 1950].

Design: Various (see above) | Year: Various | Photos: Scanned/Unknown

Nuzzles Photo Frame Magnets

I usually don’t like photos on the fridge but I just found a good reason to do it. I found this very cool modern photo frame magnets that would make any fridge happier. They are simple, geometric, clean, modernist dimensional versions of a Bear with cub, Lion with cub and Elephant with her newborn. They are called “Nuzzles Photo Frame Magnets” and are made by Tupperware.

Love the screen printed packaging too. Very Swedish with lots of Helvetica on it. I love the three column grid on the back.

This is not so old though. It was made in 1993. The designer is unknown (feel free to fill in the blanks).

Here’s the description on the package:
“When you place your child’s picture in the Nuzzle frame they will be kept company by a loving animal cuddling it’s own adorable loved one.”

Design: Unknown | Year: 1993 | Photos: Javier García

Package Info:
Tupperware
Nuzzle Photo Frame Magnets
© 1993 Dart Industries Inc.
Made in China. Printed in Hong Kong.

Alvin Lustig – Mozart Grid

So following up the Vivaldi cover, here’s to honor one of my all time favorite designer Alvin Lustig. I just love the grid, composition and colors used for this. It all seems to be a very good modern representation of classical music.

Design: Alvin Lustig | Year: 1952 | Photos: Javier García

Product Info:
Haydn Society Album Covers, 1952
Copyright 1952 by the Haydn Society, Inc.
Boston Massachusetts
Cover Design by Alvin Lustig

Joseph Low – Bach, Buxtehiude

This cover features a cleaner illustration that looks more like cut out paper contrasted with rough rich textured background lines. There are some lines that look like scratches or pen scribbles on the surface but it’s actually part of the illustration.

Design: Joseph Low | Year: 1953 | Photos: Javier García

About Joseph Low:
Joseph Low Article on New York Times
Joseph Low Wikipedia

Product Info:
Haydn Society Album Covers, 1953
Copyright 1953 by the Haydn Society, Inc.
Boston Massachusetts
Cover Design by Joseph Low

Some Love From Pariserlys Candles

For this Valentines Day (note the three hearts), I found this cool little package full of pattern, full of color (even though it’s only two), and full of life. I love the use of the triangle all over along with the aged color in the paper. The shapes of the candles are very cool too. They are made by Pariserlys and are called Paris Candles.

These were handcrafted in Denmark and are probably from the 1950’s-1960’s.

Design: Unknown | Year: Unknown | Photos: Javier García

In the back of the packaging we got:
Made in Denmark
Hjertelys
Dansk Håndarbejde (Danish Crafts)
Dessin 405/4

Alvin Lustig’s Vivaldi Album Cover

This is an awesome album cover of the Italian eighteenth-century composer Antonio Vivaldi that I was able to find from the amazing American Modern Design Pioneer, Alvin Lustig. It’s a bit dusty with a couple stains but considering its age its understandable. I was immediately drawn to it for its shapes, then I saw the printed signature and immediately payed for it at an old stack of records from an antique store.

I love the rhythm and the relationship between the backgroung and typography arrangements. The color is amazing. Not sure if this was originally printed on a white paper but the aged tone gives it a nice touch.

Design: Alvin Lustig | Year: 1952 | Photos: Javier García

Product Info:
Haydn Society Album Covers, 1952
Copyright 1953 by the Haydn Society, Inc.
Boston Massachusetts
Cover Design by Alvin Lustig