Loïc from Bureau L'Imprimante has got a new camera so, as he says himself, "the flat times are over". From now on we'll be seeing just stuff like this:
About which he says, "Here is the cover for Dino Buzatti's Le K. This pocked-sized edition was issued in France in 1969. It was published by Le Livre de Poche, french pioneer for this format of books.Of course the cover design is awesome, but I love all these significant details: the use of colour on the side's type, the all-black back (damn!!), and this gorgeous touch of red on the side of the pages. Unfortunatly I was not able to find out who was the designer of this great piece, so if any of your readers had a clue..."
Ian's sent me some stuff, including a Birdsall (I think) designed Penguin*, a snippet of reception sign from a hotel in Telford (ooooh, Clarendon), a fragment of a roadside cafe mural from down south and an old sign, re-discovered after the adjacent building was demolished.
* There's an interesting story connected to this cover I think, only I can't recall it accurately. It's about Penguin and Greene debating the necessity for an illustration on the front. Greene arguing that his name was enough. They tried it both ways. Of course, that could all me rubbish so if I come across the source again I'll come back and correct this.
Meanwhile, Callum's mate sent him this image of something being sold on ebay, "scoffing at the ridiculous things people attempt to sell". And yet, there's just something about those little stickers...
So big thanks to Loïc, Ian and Callum, and if you've anything knocking about that you'd like to send me, please email here.
The Graham Greene story you mentioned is in Phil Baines' "Penguin By Design" book (page 175).
It was Greene's idea to do purely typographic colours and he talked a skeptical David Pelham and Derek Birdsall into it. They tried it for a few titles (I have a copy of 'Brighton Rock' in that style) and sales plummeted so they went back to the Paul Hogarth illustrations for the next reprint.
Posted by: LondonLee | 20 April 2007 at 06:43 PM
You probably read about the story behind the design of Graham Greene's covers in Phil Baine's Penguin by Design (p. 174–175).
Posted by: Rafael Lüder | 21 April 2007 at 04:58 AM
The anecdote on Birdsall (who did design that cover) and Greene is reported in Phil Baines' 2005 book 'Penguin by Design' and was repeated by Derek Birdsall at the 'Penguin by Designers' Study Day in 2005, of which the book has just been published by the Penguin Collectors' Society. Its cover, the design drawing of Romek Marber's grid, is beautiful, so I expect to see it on your pages before long.
Posted by: James Mackay | 21 April 2007 at 11:50 AM
Thanks, everyone, for the correct story.
James: it's my next entry. My copy was waiting for me when I got home on Friday.
Posted by: Richard | 21 April 2007 at 08:44 PM
Stop wondering everyone, this great black typographic cover was designed by Pierre Faucheux’ studio. They've been in charge for almost the Livre de Poche covers in the second part of the '60s. How do I now that? Well while I was in Chaumont I found this great publication called Marie Louise
http://www.fsept.net/edML.htm
who told me all about P.F.’ book designs.
Posted by: Bureau L'Imprimante | 27 May 2007 at 02:11 PM
Thanks Loïc! I'll sleep much better now.
Posted by: Richard | 28 May 2007 at 09:40 AM