King Solomon

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Here’s a great example of design from the early 60’s for the King Solomon Restaurants. The identity wonderfully integrated into exterior signs, menus, packaging and more. I love how the square Extended Eurostyle typeface integrates with the shapes if the icon.

Enjoy!

Design: Sy Edelstein   |   Year: 1963   |   Photos: Scanned/Unknown

Norman S. Ives Typographic Bach

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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

Automatic Pancaker

I just found this awesome atomic age pancaker in it’s original packaging. Although it’s not the most functional thing, it is fun to work with and it looks great.

The packaging is very cool. Love the colors and the typography. It’s so cool how the three ovals are bellow the pancaker drawing symbolize the pancakes and at the same time play very well with the type. A completely Atomic Age explosion. The photo of the pancake is classy, why show a full color photo as they do now days? Some people may argue that it doesn’t look appetizing, etc but to be honest it doesn’t bother me at all. I just hate how today’s packaging looks. Full of color, full of gradients, full of layers and layers of crap when back in the days they put a lot of thought into a two or three color job, creating new colors out of overprints, using patterns, etc. to create shades. Now days designers just throw stuff on to the design without using their heads.

It’s 100% made in USA (product and printing). 3 Color Offset. The designer is unknown. If you’d like to share some info, please do.

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

Alvin Lustig PostWar Architecture

Here’s another wonderful book designed completely by Alvin Lustig. Amazing Layouts and typography is showcased in this book not to mention all the great architects featured in it. The photo’s tonal range is exceptional due to the heliogravure process.

Book was made in 1952 by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

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

Remo Drum Head Packaging

I just found this great packaging for Remo’s Drum Heads. Inside was a receipt dated 1986. The designer is unknown (anyone?), but the simplicity, shapes and colors are very fun to look at. I’ve seen some recent redos of this packaging and they do not come any close to this. Why did they change their package?

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