A couple weeks back I was dutifully making my way through my feedreader and was immediately taken with one of UPPERCASE’s posts on the 1958 Penrose Annual. Knowing I had to have this treasure, I ordered it from Abe Books for a whopping $20 (shipping included). And finally this weekend it came! My expectations were blown away. Most books these days just don’t have this level of detail with tip-ins, vellum overlays, various stocks of fine paper, diecuts etc. Not to mention the juicy mid-century design that would make any designer drool. Even the articles are an interesting read, covering subjects like The Importance of Electronic Colour Correction and Advertising Art in an Atomic Age. More images on my flickr and please stop by UPPERCASE too and see Janine’s excellent write-up as well.
This book is single-handedly one of the most inspiring pieces of print I have seen in a very long time!
I’m happy to see that you have one now! Just imagine the goodness in all the other Penrose annuals we’ll have to start collecting.