I've been researching music for the eyes: a legacy of record covers from the golden era of design. This started with a bang in 1939 at Columbia Records, hit its stride with the 12" long playing album format in 1948, and reached a peak around 1968 with the release of the Beatles' White Album. Shortly thereafter, tape cassette format began to shrink the art, and after 1985 CD's recalibrated everyone's standards to a mere 5" square. Today's iPod listeners have to make do with an on-screen image the size of a saltine, or a tiny icon the size of a Scrabble letter.
My interest in the lettering on record covers began in a thrift store when I could not resist this gem. I still can't pin down whether it's by Alex Steinweiss [the Gutenberg of cover design, a genius from the very outset] or Jim Flora. But it captures the essence of the Samba beat. Columbia liked it so much they recycled it in orange for a Tango album. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BhuDjvr9L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Search on either of the designers mentioned above, for a trip down memory lane. To help remember how that music looked, as well as how it sounded, remember how WE looked while we were listening.
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Some of the first records
I heard as a child had covers
that are now considered
works of art. Alex Steinweiss, 1950.
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1951 record album lettering, printed in just two colors, for a 7" two-disc release. More albums at Pinterest on my board.
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Search on either of the designers mentioned above, for a trip down memory lane. To help remember how that music looked, as well as how it sounded, remember how WE looked while we were listening.
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| Note record player at left of scene. |
I vote Steinweiss, as I cannot imagine Flora (or his editor) could have launched a cover devoid of illustration.
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