Britain to U.S.A. or Canada

I was expecting the plectrum but wasn't expecting package number two (or number three for that matter, which I'll show you later in the week). Alistair, from ephemera-loving We Made This (who, incidentally, have one of the most extremely interesting design-related blogs) very kindly sent me this BOAC Route Map.

The cover was designed by Erwin Fabian who worked periodically for Penguin probably around the same time that he did this.

Born in Berlin, Fabian was one of many creative types that fled Germany to avoid the Nazis: first to England, deported to Australia then back to London after the War where he worked as a graphic designer between 1949 and 1962. At that point he moved back to Australia and concentrated his efforts on Abtract Expressionist sculpture.

Of course, it's an extremely interesting map too; I count four line-screened colours plus that red, curiously overprinted quite crudely rather than intergrated into the design (to accommodate changes in routes or so the map artwork could be relayed for different journeys I'd guess).

Comments

[Keir]

Very nice - when did he work for Penguin? It's got a look of some of the stuff from John Curtis' era, the later fifties and the very early sixties, before the Marber grid came in.

[Richard]

Can't be any more precise than you about dates but you're probably right. I have one or two pre-marbergrid Penguins/Pelicans with Fabian covers (all signed so it's easy it's ID).