His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a book s contents, with. Amerika by franz kafka was designed by alvin lustig for new directions books in 1946. Each sheet comes with a paper insert for extra stiffness. Biography an introduction about alvin lustig and his lifetime.
Fortune magazine cover, may found over the weekend. Sep 14, 2012 in steven heller and elaine lustig cohens book, born modern. Alvin lustig graphic designer vv published in us in 2014 by studio art ff. Jun 03, 2018 alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the aiga lifetime achievement award when he was alive. His book jackets and covers in particular still influence the contemporary approach some 65 years later. See more ideas about alvin lustig, graphic design and cover design. The august, september, and october advertisementsthough similar in style to lustigs workwere not made by him, the november advertisement was attributed to rj wolff, and the december issue repeated a previous lustig design. Oct 21, 2017 alvin lustigs restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design. Dec 18, 2017 a colorful history of judging books by their covers by ernest. Alvin lustig gets an impressive eightyeight page look at his book jackets for new directions. Cover by alvin lustig alvin lustig was an innovative pioneer in developing american graphic design during the and lustigs early work in the late reflects his training with frank lloyd wright.
Alvin lustig s restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design. I can imagine something like this on a fantastic blouse or skirt. Design by alvin lustig, new directions, 1946 design by alvin lustig, new directions, 1945. His method was to read a text and get the feel of the authors creative drive, then to restate it in his own graphic terms, wrote james laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig print, vol.
Each cover displayed an artistic unity where even the book s title and author. This book was wrapped in a black and white montage of five symbolic photographs and would go on to change the american publishing industry. Partners graphic design studio alvin lustig book blank empty book cover free vector a beautiful cover alvin lustig despite having a very decorative graphic design, this book cover is still very focused and clean. Those jackets helped distinguish her more freeform style from alvins lateperiod precisionist approach. Hyperallergic lushly illustrated, salisburys exciting visual history showcases the work of edward gorey, vanessa bell, alvin lustig, and many others.
At the time of his death in 1955, lustig was in the middle of unfinished commissions. Lustig seldom relied on literal solutions for his cover designs. The art of classic book covers alvin lustig, book covers. The title, in lowercase italic white type, is stacked vertically. Around the same time, arthur cohen, book publisher and the lustigs best friend, insisted that elaine design meridian books new line of paperbacks. One of his most memorable masterpieces is that of the book cover, lorca. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of lustig s book cover designs that were created primarily for new directions books and noonday press, among others. From the book jackets of alvin lustig by james laughlin, print magazine, octnov 1956 the first jacket which lustig did for a new directions book the one for the 1941 edition of henry millers wisdom of the heart was quite unlike anything then in. Just insert book jacket between white paper and clear.
The meridian covers were a quiet departure from, yet also a continuum of lustig s earlier, innovative book jacket designs. Born in 1915, alvin lustig grew up in denver, colorado. Alvin lustig february 8, 1915 december 5, 1955 was an american book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer. American art and design in the atomic age, 19401960. She is best known for her work as a graphic designer during the 1950s and 60s, having created over 150 designs for book covers and museum catalogs. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity and print.
Those jackets helped distinguish her more freeform style from alvin s lateperiod precisionist approach. Todays book jacket designs featuring abstract ideas, minimal text, and realistic illustrations can be traced directly to american designer alvin lustig s mediumbreaking cover for the 1949 paperback lorca. Looking for book jacket cover for books without dust jackets. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover design and graphic design. The illustrated dust jacket, 19201970 by martin salisbury, chronicles how this once disposable object became a major creative force in publishing. His playful book covers caught my attention and spoke to me of an element that is perhaps missing in my own studio work. Cover design by alvin lustig, book cover, the man who died, d. See more ideas about book cover design, cover and book design. Jan mlodozeniec cover design for john steinbecks the pearl poland design.
Book jackets artwork from the design legend alvin lustig, for the new classics series. Revolutionizing the approach to book cover design in the 1940s, lustig would attempt to get a sense of the writers direction from reading the book and then translate it into his own graphic style the previous trend was to summarize the book with one image. A student of frank lloyd wright, among others, alvin lustig had a very successful career in graphic design and art direction. Revolutionizing the approach to book cover design in the lustig would attempt to get a sense of the writers direction from reading the book and then translate it. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover design and cover design. Alain fournier, the wanderer alvin lustig for new directions. The designer, alvin lustig, created an incredible body of work during his short life. Exiles by james joyce cover design by alvin lustig 1945. With brodart econofold book jacket covers, you can cover any book. If you would like to look deeper into his life and work, visit the alvin lustig archive, dedicated to him. The current preference among american book jacket designers for fragmented images, photoillustration, minimal typography and rebuslike compositions can be traced directly to lustig s stark blackandwhite cover for lorca, a grid of five symbolic photographs linked in poetic disharmony. Alvin lustig book cover design, vintage book covers, book. Between 1941 and 1952, lustig produced one masterpiece after another stylized, fragmented, some combining multiple photographs, others drawn by hand in glorious abstraction. Our book jacket covers are constructed of polyester and polypropylene and are available in onepiece and twopiece styles.
Anyway, there was a post or a link or some other worm hole a few months ago that led to a flickr page of book covers designed by alvin lustig for new directions in the late 1940s. Alvin designed the first 25 and elaine went on to do more than 100 more. He began designing book covers in 1937 and revolutionized the approach to book cover design in the 1940s. Lustig was a renowned twentiethcentury graphic designer and a design hero of mine. Alvin lustigs book covers i was killing some time in south congress books the other day and the clerk showed me some original new directions books with these alvin lustig covers and they really. Between 1941 and 1952, lustig produced one masterpiece after another. Lustig used the book cover as a vehicle of his bold graphic experimentation that was enhanced by a lifelong collaboration with james laughlin, founder and. By the time he died at the age of 40 in 1955, he had already introduced principles of modern art to graphic design. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Brooklyn museum of art in association with harry n. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. This is the full series from a the new classics section of the alvin lustig website, to view his incredible ads, identities, periodicals, architecture, interiors and more book jacket artwork click on the link bellow. Book jacket cover sheet with paper insert 12 wide x 2312 long 25 sheets per pack made from 1.
These started in 1939 when he met publisher james laughlin, they became good friends and lustig designed dozens of covers through the forties and fifties for laughlins imprints, fiftyfour, in color, are included in the book with six covers for other publishers. Updating a famous type anomaly from aiga medalists alvin. He was in the vanguard of a relatively small group who fervently, indeed religiously, believed in the curative power of good design when applied to all aspects of american life. Paper insert is perforated in 14 increments and adjustable to back book covers from 1012 12 wide. As publisher of new directions, laughlin hired lustig in the early 1940s. Dec 07, 2015 while researching for my annotated bibliography, i discovered the work of alvin lustig. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin. Alvin lustig california, usa alvin lustig had the skill and artistry needed to become a successful painter, but he chose to dedicate much of his life to breaking down and creating anew the conventions of design in the book cover industry. A streetcar named desire, with modernprimitivist art by alvin lustig. Elaine lustig cohen, 1956 although the early examples in the show are of lustig s covers dating from 1933 to 1955, a major portion of the work on display is by lustig cohen, with her 90 covers for meridian books, 33 covers for other publishers, and 24 books and catalogs for the jewish publishing society. Brodart has a wide variety and large selection of book jacket covers for books of many sizes. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of continue reading. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover design and book design.
I decided to research lustigs work in the form of a blog post. Elaine lustig cohen march 6, 1927 october 4, 2016 was an american graphic designer, artist and archivist. Lustigs design set the standard for future covers, and his successor, martin rosensweig, continued to produce covers for a few years afterward that more rigidly adhered to the same formal practices. Lustig believed it was a medium which could reach a wider and less elitist audience than conventional art.
The book jackets reproduced here reflect the changing visual styles and motifs of the passing century, beginning with the art deco period and continuing through modernism, the playful thirties, the pre and postwar neoromantics, the new consumerism and realist subject matter of the fifties, and the pop art of the sixties. Fantastic book cover designs by alvin lustig, who had a remarkable career in his too short life 19151955. The current preference among american book jacket designers for fragmented images, photoillustration, minimal typography and rebuslike compositions can be traced directly to lustigs stark blackandwhite cover for lorca, a grid of five symbolic photographs linked in poetic disharmony. The difference between the jackets wed seen and those of paul rand and alvin lustig was striking. These modern covers also differed greatly from other book covers in the paperback field which mostly used pictorial illustrations. Jan mlodozeniec, 1956 alvin lustig, beautiful book design charley harper illustration from a biology book edward and the horse olle eksell vintag. Milton glaser illustration 2 book jacket for a kingsley amis book. The alvin lustig archive includes over 400 designs from this important modern american design pioneer.
Big red 3 on alvin lustigs 1954 industral design cover. Jason gabbert 1 the book jacktes of alvin lustig by james laughlin, new directions print magazine, octnov 1956 2 born modern by steven heller eye magazine 1993, vol. Best book covers vintage book covers beautiful book covers book cover art book cover design book design book art evelyn waugh cool books alvin lustig s contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the aiga lifetime achievement. Alvin lustig papers, 19351955 archives of american art. Alvin lustig s book covers i was killing some time in south congress books the other day and the clerk showed me some original new directions books with these alvin lustig covers and they really. Lustig has been honored by the american institute of graphic arts and the art directors club hall of fame for his significant contributions to american design. When lustigs approach which developed from an interest in montage originally practiced by the european moderns, particularly the american expatriate e. T raditionally, most manuscripts were covered in materials such as vellum or calf lather, but with the mass production of printed books, in the early nineteenth century, publishers began using cloth bound covers for their books. Amazing illustrative and colorful book covers by one of our favorite designers. May 14, 2012 alvin lustig introduced principles of modern art to graphic design that have had a longterm influence on contemporary practice.
He also studied design independently with american architect frank lloyd wright at his taliesin studio. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer books. Post 1 by nat kiryk alvin lustig graphic design history. Many of the bestsellers from the 70s and 80s were designed by bacon.
His method was to read a manuscript to get the feel of the authors creative drive, then restate it in his own graphic terms. Art directors share their alltime favourite book covers. Alvin lustig was the original design strategist petrolicious. Alvin lustig s contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the aiga lifetime achievement award when he was alive. Jan 06, 2009 a few days ago, i remembered that i liked design observera collective blog that occasionally includes posts from the great steven heller. From the book jackets of alvin lustig by james laughlin, print magazine, octnov 1956 the first jacket which lustig did for a new directions book the one for the 1941 edition of henry millers wisdom of the heart was quite unlike anything then in vogue, but it scarcely hinted at the extraordinary flowering which was to follow. Given the need for transportation of the books from the printing firms to bookstores, publishers had to protect these delicate covers with book jackets. Alvin lustig, created an incredible body of work during his short life. Lustig kept his hand in graphic design, continuing to produce quantities of book jackets for the new directions, knopf and noonday presses during the 1940s and 50s, and covers for several periodicals including fortune magazine. The life and design of alvin lustig, the authors describe his coverdesign process. I am in awe of all of his book covers, and it is hard to single out one cover but, for me, this iconic design stands the test of time.
Alvin lustig book cover design, vintage book covers. Alvin lustig book design, book cover design, alvin lustig. May 20, 20 with his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. In 1937, lustig initiated his professional career designing book jackets. His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a books contents, with. The opportunity to design this series of book jackets was an unusual one. The green child by herbert read cover by alvin lustig new directions 1976 design. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. With his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design.
He further rejected the typical cover design that summarized a book through one generalized image. Mar 06, 2012 alvin lustig was an american graphic designer, typeface designer and teacher. Mcknight kauffer was introduced to american book publishing in the late 1940s, covers and jackets were mostly illustrative and also rather decorative. Alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the aiga lifetime achievement award when he was alive. A colorful history of judging books by their covers the. These started in 1939 when he met publisher james laughlin, they became good friends and lustig designed dozens of covers through the forties and fifties for laughlins imprints, fiftyfour, in color, are included in the book with six covers for. Rarely is the graphic designer given the chance to act upon what he considers his highest level upon a problem of serious intentions.
506 341 686 587 1420 962 615 526 292 996 368 1661 342 1380 1232 1499 374 1138 671 513 261 1006 149 1188 296 1353 328 967 398 980 20 1288 931 1089 1112 936 1275 12 342 1492 783 730 986 523 548 508 195