Talking of repetitive patterns: during the 50s and into the 60s Penguin published their poetry series wrapped in sometimes beautiful, sometimes surprising and always stylish covers featuring such patterns. Without doubt the most interesting and creative patterns (and as far I can tell from the 20 or so Penguin Poets that I've found, the only ones credited to a designer) are by Stephen Russ.
This one isn't credited so perhaps isn't by Russ but is one of the most startling, non-credited covers and as good a starting point as any for what will be an irregular series of posts.
But it's not just the patterns that make these so striking, it's the combination of the ivory coloured, uncoated paper with it's subtle texture; the black black type with the subject set in a "Modern" italic and the credit and publisher set in it's equivalent Roman; that discrete and perfectly positioned star and Tschichold's logo printed in the lead colour; all set within the multi-line bordered label-like box.
love those designs/patterns...so simple but absolutely classic. good find
Posted by: artbitz | 12 July 2006 at 05:51 PM
Do you have the book by Phil Banes from the expo at the V&A - Penguin By Design...?
There is a very small bit of information about Russ in there, and a collection of his cover designs for PP all stacked together and photographed spine on over a double page spread....this one is in there - so I guess the Talented Mr. Russ is responsible after all!!
Posted by: abigail | 01 October 2006 at 01:12 AM
Yes, I've got that book. It's very good but does lack info on Russ. Somewhere I've got an old copy of Graphics International that has an article on the books and specifically Stephen Russ. When I find it, perhaps it'll shed a little more light on the man.
Posted by: Richard | 01 October 2006 at 08:16 PM