Recent
A Matchbox label find
As I mentioned in the last post I wasnt going to be posting here for a while, but I came across a great set of Matchbox labels on ebay which I know a number of you might be interested in – so here is the link: A FULL SET FEDERAL MATCHBOX LABELS – 1971 ROAD SAFETY [...]
New Graphic Collection
This blog is currently being “renovated” and parts of it migrated so there wont be any new posts for a while. However I have started a new site devoted entirely to ALBUM COVER DESIGN of The World Record Club, Melbourne. The graphic gems of this imporant design studio are too good not be be recorded [...]
Vintage Wood Block Advertising – Chromoxylography
The great vintage images in this post are from the site of Richard D. Sheaff ephemera. Richard has collected, scanned and researched a huge amount of all manner of vintage printed images on his website. There are some superb categories of often hard to find images – so it is well worth a long look at the [...]
10 Great Vintage Luggage Labels
Freshly posted in the Flickr stream of one of my favourites, Tom Schifanell’s ”The Art of The Luggage Label”. Tom recently posted a new batch of Vintage labels, click on the images to go to Tom’s Flickr stream and see all his other graphic goodness……some of labels are available for purchase, or as high resolution scans.
Vintage Christmas Illustrations
These wonderful vintage and timely Christmas illustrations are from the Flickr stream of Ariel S. Winter The set is: Ilonka Karasz: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year (by Phyllis McGinley) From the information about this set (which is one of several with the work of Ilonka Karasz well worth delving into on this amazing Flickr stream) : [...]
Beautiful Vintage Survey Maps
These vintage survey maps are from the University of Southern California online Libraries. They all date to 1933-1939 and have such wonderful graphic elements and use of colour. Almost looks like they were hand coloured.
Soviet Photographic Museum
I can’t remember how I came across this Russian site, but I found it bookmarked in my ever growing list of graphic-centric sites. The website is full of fascinating and beautifully rendered diagrams and collections of camera manuals and other historical photographic reference material in PDF and JPEG formats – of Soviet Era Cameras and photographic literature. A goldmine of [...]
Eastern Bloc Album Covers
These album covers are from the fascinating website and blog entitled Eastern Block Songs featuring album covers from Music from Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and more. There are a number of galleries including LP’s, 7″, and 78′s plus an interesting history of Communist Rock n Roll. Some of the standout designs are actually the “Generic” covers – I [...]
Record Sleeves
Thanks to Present&Correct for the pointer to this fabulous record sleeve collection on the Flicrk stream of Affendaddy who has one of the most amazing music and music merchandising collections you will ever find, with over 25,000 images. I find these images fascinating, with the white cut out circle creating an almost surrealist style graphic quality. [...]
Rare Vintage Travel Posters
My top 10 from a great selection of rare travel posters coming up at Swann Galleries in NYC on November 8. The Auction features the best selection of American travel posters to ever come to market, as well as works by A.M. Cassandre, Jean Carlu and others I havent come across before, but am keen to find [...]
Vintage Auto Badges
I have featured the Flickr stream of Delicious Industries previously in a post some time ago on “Which?” Magazine. Delicious Industries is an independent design studio based in Brighton/Hove, UK. who produce some very keen graphic design. The collection of vintage graphics on the Delicious Industries Flickr site is superbly curated, with a very sharp and out [...]
L is for Logo
I was lucky enough a few weeks ago to find a reasonably priced copy of the Iconic book by Yasaburo Kuwayama – “Trade Marks & Symbols Vol.1 – Alphabetical Designs”, published 1973 by Van Nostrand Reinhold, ISBN 0442245637. With over 1,500 designs this volume is a treasure trove of symbols and logos from around the world from the 1970s. For [...]
Design Fundamentals 1951 – Colour
These superb colour diagrams are from a way out of print book I have entitled “Design Fundamentals” R. Scott, McGraw Hill, 1951. The principles never change of course, and the book was still in use in the late 1970s when I was at Art School.
Mid-Century Album Cover – Faust on Deutsche Grampohon
Another great mid-century album cover, but this time from Deutsche Gramophone – Faust excerpts, Charles Gounod. – looks to be early 1960′s – designer not attributed.
Album Cover – Brubeck plays Brubeck
What a great looking album cover. Such keen typography, layout and use of colour. Notes say it was recorded in 1956 – but not sure of the release date. Released Columbia, Coronet CBS under license to Australian Record Company. It was in a group of album covers I bought at auction…annoyingly though the record is missing!! [...]
A Collection of Soviet Graphics
Several times now, I have purchased some superb Soviet matchbox labels from an eBay store located in Estonia. I haven’t been back there for a while, but did recently and was just blown away by the variety and quality of the (primarily) Soviet graphic ephemera now listed. The seller obviously has an eye for quality graphic design and [...]
