Vintage Book Design

Old books are beautiful. A friend of mine works at Turtle Creek, a bookstore in Port Credit, which houses some of the oldest and most beautiful hardcover books I've ever encountered. Once, he brought me into the back after hours to check out the collection, and I was baffled by the sight and weight of the most beautiful designs embossed in ivory, leather, and sometimes wood. Old special edition books carry the aura that mass produced texts often lack; the investment of time and human energy that marks the object itself with something entirely transcendental. Call me fetishistic, I'll call myself intuitive. At least I know Benjamin agrees with me.

For Tightrope Books' Fall 2010 catalogue I'm going to have to channel the feeling I experienced in my gut when holding a 500 year old book into one of my paperback designs. Interestingly enough, the contents of this particular collection are avant-garde and graphic, but the outer design is meant to juxtapose the work, offering the reader a tame enclosure for the madness within. Some hand-made inspirations:



For another Fall 2010 title, I'm providing a similar vintage aesthetic through ocular illustrations/simple collages to accompany the poetry. Much of my inspiration has been coming from vintage eye charts and camera instruction pamphlets, which have been both fun to filter through, and a new experience for me.


After designing 13 colourful and often wacky books for Tightrope Books so far, it looks as though Fall 2010 is going to channel the past in ways I've never done before. I'm excited for the shift in mood and aesthetic, and to grow as a designer.