Le Corbusier: The modulor (1954)

Le Corbusier's The Modulor Cover

26/01/12 – Select illustrations from Le Corbusier’s The modulor: a harmonious measure to the human scale universally applicable to architecture and mechanics published by Faber and Faber (1954). (more…)

Noto ballpoint pen for Lamy by Naoto Fukasawa 2008

Lamy Noto pen Fukasawa

22/01/12 – Noto ballpoint pen designed by Naoto Fukasawa for German pen manufacturer Lamy in 2008. Design is restricted to essential functions with a view to good writing. Casing profile is triangular and made of heavy plastic with a matte surface. (more…)

Olympus OM-10 camera system packaging

Olympus OM 10: body

27/11/11 – Original packaging design for the OM-10 camera system by Olympus (c. 1979-87): box graphics for camera body, lens and semihard case. (more…)

Imre Reiner: Grafika (1947)

Grafika: modern design for advertising and printing (1947)

19/09/11 – Selections from Imre Reiner’s Grafika: modern design for advertising and printing published in New York in 1947. English edition limited to 1000 copies. (more…)

Interkosmos space program stamp series (1970)

Radar station

13/09/2011 – Czechoslovak stamp series designed by Jaroslav Lukavský in 1970 for the Interkosmos space program. (more…)

Karl Gerstner: Kompendium für Alphabeten (1972)

Karl Gerstner: Kompendium für Alphabeten

15/08/11 – Excerpts from Swiss artist and designer Karl Gerstner’s Kompendium für Alphabeten published in 1972 by Verlag Niggli AG. (more…)

Books from 1960s Czechoslovakia: part 2

Czechoslovak books (1960s)

27/05/11 – Second installment of book covers, dust jackets, endpapers and title pages from Czechoslovakia circa 1960. (more…)

Books from 1960s Czechoslovakia: part 1

Czechoslovak book covers

20/05/11 – A selection of book covers, dust jackets, endpapers and title pages from Czechoslovakia circa 1960. (more…)

‘Best builders of socialism’ matchbox label series (1960)

Vote for the best builders of socialism as representatives of the people

18/04/11 – Czechoslovak matchbox label series promoting the election of socialist leaders. Series features illustrations of men and women from a wide variety of occupations (teachers, scientists, farmers, etc.) with the slogan (roughly translated): “[Elect] the best builders of socialism to represent the people.” (more…)

Traditional Czechoslovak Easter egg designs (1963)

Czechoslovak folk art

02/04/11 – Czechoslovak matchbox label series featuring traditional folk art. Series consists of eleven labels depicting hand-painted Easter egg designs. Labels printed for the Solo matchworks in Lipnik, Czechoslovakia in 1963. (more…)

Series of WWII Czechoslovak military heroes (1945)

Staff Captain Ridky, British Army

30/03/11 – Stamp series dedicated to the  Czechoslovak military heroes of World War 2. Series dates from 1945 and consists of 16 unique denominations. (more…)

Richter’s Anchor Stone Building Set No. 8 (1894)

Schematic for the arrangement and storage of stone blocks

18/03/11 – Selections from the packaging and documentation of Richter’s Anchor Stone Building Set No. 8 (Anker Steinbaukasten No. 8), first issued in 1894. (more…)

Animal illustrations from the Prague Zoo (1963)

Prague Zoo: hippopotamus

13/03/11 – Matchbox label series featuring animals from the Prague zoo. Printed by the Solo matchworks in Lipník, Czechoslovakia, 1963. (more…)

Czechoslovak independence series by J. Schmidt (1945-7)

Milan Rastislav Štefánik

24/02/11 – Sixteen-part postage stamp series commemorating three key figures of the Czechoslovak independence movement: Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Edvard Beneš and Milan Rastislav Štefánik. (more…)

Ladislav Sutnar: Build the Town building block set (1943)

"Factory Town" toy prototype, c 1942 by Ladislav Sutnar

21/02/11 – Ladislav Sutnar began designing toys while a student at the School of Applied Arts in Prague in the early 1920s. His use of simple geometric shapes and bright colours resonated with children as well as adults. His designs, though rooted in the rich heritage of Czechoslovak folk art, helped bring toy design into the 20th century. (more…)

Czechoslovak folk architecture series (1961)

Hana House with Porch

14/02/11 – Series of twenty matchbox labels featuring Czechoslovak folk architecture. Printed in 1961 by the Solo matchworks company. (more…)

Czechoslovak first day covers, a selection

"Giovanni Francisci as a volunteer" by Peter Michal Bohun, Nov. 29, 1968

10/02/11 – Selection of Czechoslovak first day covers (FDCs). Typically, FDCs are special issue envelopes promoting the release of a new stamp or stamp series. They feature a unique post mark (cancel) indicating date of issue, and artwork, called a ‘cachet.’ This small selection dates from 1968-71 and all cachets are engravings. (more…)

Alexander Girard: wooden dolls (1963)

Alexander Girard's wooden dolls

22/12/10 – In 1963 Alexander Girard created a series of wooden dolls for his home in Santa Fe. Girard’s keen interest in folk art is apparent in the designs which act both as decorative items and children’s toys. (more…)

The Penguin Poets redesign by Jan Tschichold (1948)

penguin-poets-comp

15/12/10 – Two early examples of titles from the Penguin Poets series: (left) John Overton’s [?] original design of 1946 and (right) Jan Tschichold’s reformed design of 1951. (more…)

A selection of Chicago architectural postcards (1941)

Navy Pier, Chicago [107]

12/12/10 – Small selection of Chicago architectural postcards printed by Curt Teich and Co. in 1941. All postcards have a ‘linen-finish’ and are marked: ‘C.T. Art Colortone’. (more…)

Oliver Tomas

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  • info[at]olivertomas[dot]com
  • 49 East Cordova Street
    Vancouver, British Columbia
    Canada V6A 1K3
  • Oliver Tomas is a designer and academic currently living and working in Vancouver.