Type

Bear witness to a love affair with typography at Playtype

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Spectacular.

Le Météore de la Nuit

There are countless images of the Eiffel Tower, but I love when it appears like an imposing spaceship from a faraway place, no doubt struggling with French to warn anyone looking up from their déjeuner.

Rene-Jacques, Tour Eiffel 1947

George Garen, La Tour Eiffel 1889

The airship Le Jaune by the LeBaudy brothers glides by the Eiffel Tower in 1903

A Maira timeline

Maira Kalman. I've loved her work since seeing it for the first time in 1989 

(Stay Up Late).    24 years and counting, that love is officially a part of me.

Gaga

Creepy.

Truly, madly, deeply

As part of their senior thesis exhibition at Musashino Art University,

Saiko Kanda and Mayuka Hayashi created portraits of couples

using a CT scan  and x-ray machine.

Eerie and spectacular!

Gear dress

The Beatle dress, circa 1964

Light as a pillow

I love these paper pillow lights from IKEA. 

They look fantastic as a group in this very dark bedroom.

Surreal sweat

Dadaists rejected reason and embraced nonsense.

These limited edition sweatshirts by MSGM  and Toilet Paper 

do too.

Private tour

Scaf the Seal, 1936

Illustrated by Rojan (Feodor Rojankovsky)

Because a seal is truly your best guide to the sights

of the Arctic Circle.

Going Dutch

You may have already seen other advertisements inspired by classical paintings.

The Fall/Winter Valentino campaign pays homage to the Dutch masters

in brilliant fashion.

10 and up

I've just ordered Chip Kidd's new book, Go.

Labeled for readers '10 and Up', it's already a bestseller. I have no doubt it will be as

pleasing to the eye as the other Kidd books I have on my shelf.

He is a serious designer, but in interviews and presentations he's always 

so funny and witty.

...a film of terror (and the supernatural)

It's well documented that Stanley Kubrick was a perfectionist: for each of his films, there was exhaustive research, many script revisions, multiple takes for his actors, and in the case of Barry Lyndon, directions for projectionists on the changeover cues and aspect ratio.

Kubrick was equally meticulous while overseeing the design of the poster for The Shining. The designer Saul Bass, a master of the medium, was also sent back to the drawing board.

(click on image to enlarge)

Kubrick's note to Saul Bass regarding the rough art

#1 "Don't like art work, hotel looks peculiar, also art work too spread

out, too sprawling, not compact enough. I don't like the dots for the

logo, it will not look good small, even the size above is difficult to read.

Hard to read."

#2 "Looks like science fiction film, hard to read even at this size."

#3 "Hand and bike are too irrelevant. Title looks bad small. Looks like ink didn't take 

on the part that goes light."

#4 "Maze too abstract and too much emphasis on the maze. Title, see comment #3"

#5 "Maze and figures places too much emphasis on maze, I don't think we should use 

the maze in ads. Title, see #3"

Reply from Saul Bass

Final art

Red cross

Nice room...

I spy a Thomas Eriksson cross cabinet.

That's an item on my forever-love list!

Mental arithmetic

Gorgeous promotional posters publicizing the French book, La Clef du Calcul Mental par L. Lamy, L. Lange et A. de Rouget (The Key To Mental Arithmetic by L. Lamy, L. Lange and A. de Rouget). The math book, a collaborative effort of three Parisian primary school teachers, consisted of tables and exercises and memorization, a rational, simple method of mental arithmetic that was taught to their students with very encouraging results. After presenting their book to a large assembly of teachers, principles and educational directors from a variety of schools and institutions, it was quickly embraced as an ideal textbook for modern primary math instruction. 

First published in 1902, I date these typographic posters to 1903, the year that La Semeuse in Paris, France printed the book La Clef du Calcul Mental, which they then promoted with these bright, appealing posters. Despite their age, the designs are amazing in their modernity. A fine example of great graphic design, it communicates an idea/product with clarity, precision and efficiency. 

Two cities

Smile-inducing images from Paris Versus New York by Vahram Muratyan.

Head case

Belle Helmets protect your noggin.

Colorblind test

 Earth from space

 Diagram of the Water Cycle

The Solar System

Perpetual student

A classic Victorian school converted to modern housing.  The arched ceiling of the living area is a reminder of its former double life as the gym/assembly hall. This beauty is located in London, UK.

I love it!