A new history of Canada vol. 1 (1972)
25/10/09 – Volume one, New Worlds to Find 1000-1600, in the fifteen volume series: A New History of Canada. Educational textbook for children. Published by Editions Format in 1972 in Montreal. (more…)
Tatra T600 Tatraplan 1946-7 streamlined automobile
23/09/09 – Old toy model of the Tatra T600 Tatraplan automobile designed in 1946-7 in Czechoslovakia by Josef Chalupa, Vladimír Popelář and Hans Ledwinka. The Tatraplan had a monocoque streamlined six-seater saloon body with a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.32. It was powered by an air-cooled flat-4 cylinder 1,952 cc rear-mounted engine. Only 6,342 were produced. Toy dimensions: 10″x 3.75″ x 3.5″. (more…)
Le Corbusier: Towards a new architecture (1923)
16/09/09 – Excerpts from Le Corbusier’s Vers Une Architecture (1923), first English translation (Towards a New Architecture) 1927. (more…)
1960s & 1970s Scandinavian design logos: part 2
31/08/09 – Second installment of 1960s & 1970s Scandinavian design logos on flickr//. Includes logos from a variety of furniture and textile firms. (more…)
1960s & 1970s Scandinavian design logos: part 1
24/08/09 – First installment of a collection of Scandinavian design logos/logotypes circa 1960/70 on flickr//. Initial assortment strictly Danish furniture and textile firms. More to come from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. (more…)
Air made visible: a visual reader on Bruno Munari (2000)
20/08/09 – Far vedere l’aria / Air Made Visible: A Visual Reader on Bruno Munari (2000) edited by Claude Lichtenstein and Alfredo W. Haberli. A catalogue for the exhibition at the Museum fur Gestaltung Zurich. Printed in Switzerland by Lars Muller Publishers//.
Falkland Lamp by Bruno Munari for Danese Milano
12/08/09 – Falkland Lamp by Bruno Munari for Danese Milano (1964). Spontaneous form tube-like suspension lamp. More images//
Ladislav Sutnar: Design and paper, number 13 (1943)
17/07/09 – Selections from Design and Paper (13): Controlled Visual Flow by Ladislav Sutnar, New York (1943). (more…)
Ladislav Sutnar: Design and paper, number 19 (1945)
16/07/09 – Selections from Design and Paper (19): Shape, line and color by Ladislav Sutnar, New York (1945). (more…)
Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala: 1968
13/07/09 – Tapio Wirkkala Ultima Thule glassware for Iittala, Finland (1968). Set of six juice/whisky sour glasses (18 cl.). (more…)
Karel Teige a typografie: asymetricka harmonie (2009)
28/06/09 – Monograph for Czech artist and designer, Karel Teige (1900-1951): Karel Teige a typografie: Asymetricka harmonie (2009) by Karel Srp, Polana Bregantova and Lenka Bydzovska. Text in Czech. (more…)
J. Hochuli: Detail in Typography
18/05/09 – Excerpts from Jost Hochuli’s Detail in Typography: Letters, letterspacing, words, wordspacing, lines, linespacing, columns (2008): (more…)
Lambretta LD 150 Milan
02/05/09 – Lambretta LD 150 scooter built by Innocenti in Milan circa 1954-56. (more…)
Tenugui: Designs & Patterns Japan
26/04/09 – Excerpts from Tenugui, Pie Books (2007), Japan. Tenugui are traditional Japanese cotton hand-towels featuring a wide range of designs and motifs. (more…)
Typographic Study: Square with 3×3 Grid [Ex. AH-25]
14/04/09 – Formal typographic study of the square with 3×3 grid and variations in ratio/proportion and orientation. (more…)
Canadian Pacific Airlines (CP Air) Postcards
11/04/09 – “The luxurious Boeing 747 is the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft. Wing span, 195.7 ft. (59.6 meters). Length 231.3 ft. (70.5 meters). Fuel capacity 42.481 imp. gals (192,500 ltrs). Max. take-off weight, 775, 000 lbs. (351.540 kgms.) Cruising speed, 560 mph (900 kmh). The 747s are part of CP Air’s modern fleet of orange jets serving five continents.” (more…)
Postcards from Expo 67 in Montreal
08/04/09 – Place d’Accueil – this is the main entrance to the Exhibition and the terminus of the mass transit. Buildings on the extensive deck are restaurants, boutiques and reception rooms.
All postcards marked: Official post card / Les Messageries de Press Benjamin Ltee / Benjamin News Co., Ltd., Montreal 3, Canada / Plastichrome of Canada / ©1963 [?] (more…)
Bruno Munari’s Design as Art (1966)
01/04/09 – Excerpts from Bruno Munari’s Design as Art first published in 1966. Images on flickr//
Preface to the English Edition
They [artists] have realized that at the present time subjective values are losing their importance in favour of objective values that can be understood by a great number of people.And if the aim is to mass-produce objects for sale to a wide public at low price, then it becomes a problem of method and design. The artist has to regain the modesty he had when art was just a trade, and instead of despising the very public he is trying to interest he must discover its needs and make contact with it again. This is the reason why the traditional artist is being transformed into the designer, and as I myself have undergone this transformation in the course of my working career I can say that this book of mine is also a kind of diary in which I try to see the why and wherefore of this metamorphosis. (13)
(more…)
Excerpts from The Vignelli Canon
24/03/09 – Excerpts from Massimo Vignelli’s The Vignelli Canon (2008):
This little book reveals our guidelines – those set by ourselves for ourselves. (6)
Creativity needs the support of knowledge to be able to perform at its best. (ibid.)
It is not the formula that prevents good design from happening but lack of knowledge of the complexity of the Design profession. (ibid.) (more…)
Industrial British Columbia 1946
24/02/09 – Industrial British Columbia 1946: Canada’s magnificent new industrial empire, geared to efficient high quality production, backed by an adequate pool of skilled labor promotional catalogue. Designed and lithographed by The Sun Publishing Company Limited, Vancouver, B. C. Copyright May 15, 1947. Spiral bound 14″ x 10″ with 46 pages. (more…)