Here’s a fun box. I like the colors and the simplicity of it.
Design: Unknown | Year: Unknown | Photos: Javier García
Tag: Mid Century Modern
Europe is $52 Away!
Vintage KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Pamphlet. Designer Unknown. I like the colors, very 60’s. Reminds me of Alexander Girard’s color schemes. Love the use of Eurostile and the cut out faces. Looks 500 times better in person.
Design: Unknown | Year: 1962 | Photos: Javier García
More images after the jump…
Alvin Lustig Bach Vivaldi
Here’s another Haydn Society record from my all time favorite, Alvin Lustig. This cover is very simple yet very different from the others. The circles make it look very modern and minimal while at the same time it helps reiterate the two composers distinction by changing its color.
Hope you all enjoy this as much as I do and stay tuned for more…
Designer: Alvin Lustig | Year: ? | Photos: Javier García
Norman S. Ives Typographic Bach
I’ve been holding this one up for quite a bit as my blog was turning into an LP archive but after switching up a bit here it is:
For those who don’t know. Norman Ives was a graphic designer former student of Josef Albers at the Yale University where he also began teaching afterwards.
During the mid-to-late 1950s he worked with Herbert Matter on numerous design projects, including work for the New Haven Railroad, and Knoll International.
He is mostly known for his collages, wall reliefs and silkscreen prints.
This cover here features his love for letterforms. This was probably some of his earlier work since it was produced in 1955 and he received his MFA degree in 1952. In any case this is merely one of the coolest record covers I have.
The Paper is off white and the letters are overprinted in a cool gray color and white ink which looks very nice against the paper. The letters aren’t perfectly shaped. If you get close they appear to have been drawn by hand almost like paper cut out. The only straight lines are on the letter A and H. Lots of white space. A great modern typographic approach to a classical record.
About Norman S. Ives:
Bio on Francisfrost
AIGA Constructions and Reconstructions Exhibit
Bio on Ewardcella
Design: Norman S. Ives | Year: 1955 | Photos: Javier García
Product Info:
Haydn Society Album Covers, 1955
Copyright 1955 by the Haydn Society, Inc.
Boston Massachusetts
Cover Design by Norman S. Ives
Swedish Furniture Logos
Here are some logos that I scanned from an old Bra Bohag catalog. These were the brands they distributed. The catalog is dated 1958-1959. Unfortunately there’s not much information I can give since it’s all in Swedish (Svenska) I believe. All I can say is that they are lovely logos that depict a great period, a great style and fine quality furniture.
My favorite is the Tingströms logo. If anyone has info on the designers, feel free to share.
Design: Various/Unknown | Year: Unknown | Photos: Scanned/Unknown
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