Blog: June 2011

Auto Type XIII









Auto Type XIII - a few more additions to our auto type collection, including some from a couple of lovely commercial vehicles.

See our full collection here and if autos are your thing, check out our sister blog Super Ninety.

From the reference box #110


#110 - Printing Ephemera circa, 1965. I came across a bundle of old printers booklets ata  boot sale recently, they were only a couple of pounds so I couldn't resist.

The stash included 3 x 1965 copies of Reproductions Review (August, September & December issues), 6 x copies of Inklings: Coates Bulletin for Printers (June & December 1965, March, September & December 1967, June 1969 issues) and a copy of 'acid' paper and ink drying produced by The British Federation of Master Printersin August 1965 as no.4 in their 'production aids for the printing industry' series.

It's really interesting to read about the new printing techniques and machines available in the mid 1960's. These two ads in particular, from Reproductions Review made me smile...
There's lots more vintage ephemera in our reference box, so have a root around it here.

Daphne Padden Original Sketches




Cute, original illustrations and sketches by designer Daphne Padden in the 1970's, bought from her estate sale (she died in 2009) by the very lucky Quad Royal.

They discovered she did quite a lot of packaging design in the 70's, mainly for M&S (or St Michael as it was back then) and kept the original design sketches as well as the finished packaging which is really great to see.

I love seeing the original sketches more than the finished design - they have so much more character. So thanks Quad Royal for sharing your bounty!

Quad Royal have been researching and championing Daphne Padden's design work for some time, so there's lots more to read see here and here.

Images copyright Quad Royal.

Sunny Side Up

Andy Smith's new exhibition Sunny Side Up at Soma Gallery, Bristol promises to be great. It previews on Friday 24th June and then runs until the 20th August.

The exhibition will include 12 new large, hand-screenprints featuring "bold statements, strange visitors, warnings from gurus, the thoughts of CaptainScott and other random themes", new 3d arrows, moose heads, totes and stickers all in the distinctive Andy Smith illustration and lettering style.

All the artwork in the show will be available online too, so don't worry if like me you can't make it over to Bristol for the show.

For more info visit Soma, or see teaser images of Andy's new work here.

Image copyright Andy Smith.

Sat 18 Jun 2011

Posted under: Design , Illustration , Exhibition

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Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Lettering







I found these great lettering details from Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps over on BibliOdyssey. They've collected them from map and map publications dated between 1880 and 1920.

After completing a successful commission preparing insurance maps for the Aetna Insurance Company, surveyor D. A. Sanborn saw their value to the fire insurance industry and established D. A. Sanborn National Insurance Diagram Bureau in New York City,1867.

The lettering above shows how each town/city had a uniquely designed heading, title page or legend. They remind me of the very elaborate Carte-de-Visite reverses of the same period. I find it interesting that in the late 1800's, companies here in the UK and in the US were producing similar style lettering designs.

Reading some of the typographers comments on BibliOdyssey, I learned the difference between Lettering (hand-lettering created a purpose, not using pre-designed fonts), Typography (arranging pre-designed fonts) and Calligraphy (hand-lettering with a pen or brush). I did know the calligraphy definition but had never really given much thought to what was defined as 'lettering' or 'typography' - you learn something new everyday!

Images copyright BibliOdyssey.
Via FFFFound.

Displacement - new work by Mark Havens




I bet you can't guess what these images are?

No idea?

They're large photographic prints of the vintage model car decal sheets you probably had as a child - "tiny snapshots of color and shape that over time become elemental symbols and glyphs in the personal mythologies unique to each of us".

Seeing these tiny decals exploded to such a large scale really exaggerates the print quality and colour creating a wonderful patina and a warm feeling of nostalgia.

Displacement - new work by Mark Havens is currently showing at JAGR: Projects Philadelphia, until the end of July 2011.

Images copyright Mark Havens. Via The Chicane.

Mon 13 Jun 2011

Posted under: Design , Typography , Exhibition

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MOMA's Department of Advertising & Graphic Design


MOMA's Department of Advertising and Graphic Design (their in-house design team) have launched a portfolio site showcasing a selection of their recent exhibition design, advertising and print.

It's really interesting to see how they use the gallery space for each exhibition and how well they design the info graphics/signage to enhance the visitor experience and compliment each artists work. I also love that they've commissioned traditional billboard artists too!








I've always wanted to visit MOMA, but after seeing these pics I want to go even more.

Images copyright Museum of Modern Art.
Via Swissmiss.

Sat 11 Jun 2011

Posted under: Design , Inspiration , signage , Exhibition

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Vintage typewriter logo decals

These wonderful Typewriter logo decals are part of Georg Sommeregger's (Shordzi) collection on Flickr.

He has the most amazing typewriter based Flickr sets I've seen - vintage typewriters, their marketing materials, instruction booklets, advertising as well as collections of British, American and German typewriter ribbon tins.

A real feast of graphics that will keep you staring at your screen for hours!

Images copyright Georg Sommeregger.
Via @shelfappeal

From the reference box # 109


#109 - Fly BEA Map of Copenhagen. I picked up this little gem at the weekend. It was the detailed cover illustration that first caught my eye - it reminded me of the E-boy cityscapes.

The leaflet was a complimentary guide given to passengers of BEA when traveling to Denmark's capital city in 1964. It folds out to a large map on one side and is packed with tourist information on the other.

It opens portrait, to a gorgeously graphic map and suggested places to see from 'Kongens Nytorv (The King's New Market) to Tivoli...

Or opens landscape to reveal a 'Railway Skeleton Map of City, Suburban and Districts Services with Connections'. I love the 'S' graphic with the wings and crown...

and on the back has a handy currency guide...

BEA operated domestic and European flights from airports across the UK from 1946 to 1974 when they merged with their parent company BOAC (British overseas Airways Corporation), Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines to become British Airways.

Whilst researching BEA, I found some great old adverts from the late 50's and 60's here and also a selection of timetables from the same period here.

Mon 06 Jun 2011

Posted under: Design , Reference box , Illustration , Map

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Erik Nitsche for General Dynamics




I love it when I browse my favourite blogs in a morning and see something I haven't come across before, and that's just what happened today.

I saw a great collection of General Dynamics posters over on Words & Eggs created by late Erik Nitsche - graphic designer/art director for the General Dynamics in the late 50's.

Nitsche was responsible for all General Dynamics brand communication from 1953 - 1960. He brought an optimistic, modern dynamic to the brand and produced bold, graphic designs which can be seen in the selection of posters (above), in these adverts...




and in these annual report covers...



Images sourced here, here and here.
Copyright held by image owners.

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Welcome to the Delicious Industries blog. We're an independent design studio based in Brighton, UK and this is our scrapbook packed full of design, illustration, photography & typography inspiration. Check out our work here.

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