Out of all of the books available at the Special Collections library, the book Het boek van PTT stood out to me the most. Designed by Piet Zwart and released in 1938, its yellowed front cover with an intriguing graphic design (a mix of crude illustration with photography and minimalist color) caught my attention immediately.…
Finely ornate and textured accordingly, the Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser is a lens into the design mentality of the late 1500s. While I only held a copy of the original text, there was still much that could be gleamed from the copy of the epic that I read. The first thing that is…
My first visual impression when viewing the cover of Contemporary Furniture and Textiles was that my attention was immediately drawn to the bolded, red “K” in the middle. The background is filled with contrasting colors of grey and black with the word “Knoll” repeatedly stated. The repetition of these words is highlighted even more…
When I first entered the Special Collections Library, I was very surprised to see such delicate pieces scattered all over the room with so many students hovering over what just looked like books. I felt almost afraid to even touch the books, as everything in the atmosphere gave me the impression that things were ever…
My first impression of this book was one of fascination and respect. I was very aware of how I picked it up and turned its pages, because its age compelled me to handle it with extreme care. However, I was surprised to see that it was published in 1909, because it didn’t have the worn…
I was drawn to William Morris’s iteration of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer primarily due to my love for the Canterbury Tales and the usage of his inventive and entertaining Middle English. While this version of the text was published in 1896, the version I examined was a 1958 facsimile (exact copy). That being said,…
This book tells a simple story that a girl who wants to go to Pairs received a letter from her mother, and the message says that she can go to Pairs with her grandma. Finally, she goes to Pairs and has a wonderful trip with her grandma. I am impressed with the design style in…
It Is What It Is, is a collective of images and work from the 2×4 studio. The images were compiled by of 2×4’s founding partners, Michael Rock. This book is very important in that it directly reflects the ideology and methodology that Rock showcases in his work and what the 2×4 studio aligns with as…
Penfield, Edward, and Pollard, Percival. Posters in miniature. New York: R.H. Russell (1896), pg 240. The American designer William H. Bradley is one of the most influential designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Regarded as the “American Aubrey Beardsley,” Bradley left behind a legacy of incorporating many styles into design due…
Will Bradley: His Graphic Art: a Collection of His Posters, Illustrations, Typographic Designs & Decorations. Dover Publications, 1974. p.17. William H. Bradley was one of the first American designers to employ the principles and style of Art Nouveau in his work (Flinchum). Though many of his earliest works included poster and magazine cover design,…
Black cats have been a trope throughout the media and literature for many years. I’m sure you have heard the saying that if a black cat crosses your path, it is a sign that death or misfortune is coming your way. But why are black cats representative of bad omens, evil, darkness, death, night, or…
I was initially attracted to Het boek van PTT (The Book of PTT), because of how wonderfully weird it looked. The color scheme is reminiscent of the CMYK basics, and was engaging to me because I have been collaging single, bold colors in contrast with black hand-lettering in my process books recently. While I was…
Louise Fili designed the cover for The Lover by Marguerite Duras in 1985 when she was art director for Pantheon Books at Random House. Duras was a French writer, and even though her work was famous in France, she was barely known in the United States. Thus, the projected sale of The Lover in America…
The second example of Ellen Lupton’s work that I have chosen is her textbook, Thinking with Type, which is one of the most used typography textbooks worldwide. It is an excellent example of her skill as an educator and an author with concise information and examples to help educate the next generation of graphic designers on typography…
The reason this book caught my eye was because of how different it was than the other books typically found in the design library. Many of the books in the design library try their best to set themselves apart from the rest whether it be by shape, color, texture etc. However, this one has a…