April 12, 2006
Penguin covers
The death last weekend of graphic designer Germano Facetti spurs Rick Poynor to fondly remember Facetti's designs for Penguin paperbacks in the '60s:
The remarkable thing about these paperbacks is that they offered a visual education, too. Even then, it was obvious that Facetti had a prodigious knowledge of art history and an infallible instinct for the way a single image might capture the essence of a book . . . Facetti's 1960s covers remain the very embodiment of the Penguin spirit and style. Collectors cherish them and designers admire the rigour and purity of their designs.
The article has an image gallery, and I mention it not only because I also admire the designs, but because the current issue of Bookforum features an article by Matthew Price (not online) discussing the firm's history and its books' design that is well worth reading.