French graphic design history through scanned and collected artefacts and articles based on postwar modernism, designers, and the evolution of visual communication in France.
France has one of the longest traditions in graphic design from A.M. Cassandre‘s Art Deco posters for the Normandie and Dubonnet through to the illustrated Shell Cartoguides of the 1950s and 70s, designed by Jean Colin, Alain Cornic, and Daniel Hamot. The archive documents French graphic design through scanned travel guides, magazines and profiles of French designers.
Membership from £2.49/month unlocks articles researched and inspired by the artefacts in the collection.
Movements, Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content
Art Nouveau spread through magazine covers across Europe, from the German Jugend to the Czech Typografia, and regional variations shaped the movement's visual style in print.
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Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content
An overview of graphic design in 1900, exploring Art Nouveau, the Eckmann-Schrift typeface, the Steglitz Workshop, the Doves Press and more, illustrated with artefacts from the Design Reviewed archive.
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Design Archive Feature, Illustration, Members Only Content, Regional Histories
Like the other Cartoguides I have collected from Shell, these artefacts follow a consistent format. These were the first printed editions in the Cartoguides series and were published between 1958 and 1960. Each cover design was illustrated by French graphic artist, Jean Colin
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Design Archive Feature, Illustration, Members Only Content, Regional Histories
A while back, I bought a set of around 14 French travel guides produced by Shell that came in a leather pouch, each bearing the signature ‘D. Hamot.’ Determining the designer's full name proved to be a challenge. Their aesthetic could reflect the shifting design trends of the late 1960s.
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Design Archive Feature, Illustration, Members Only Content, Regional Histories
As part of my ongoing series documenting publicity design in the tourism industry, here is my third piece. This time, I am showcasing my collected work of Eric Lancaster, a highly skilled graphic artist whose designs played a vital role in shaping the visual identity of mid-20th-century French tourism.
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Design Archive Feature, Illustration, Members Only Content, Regional Histories
Illustrated tourist brochures designed by Alain Cornic. Little is known about Cornic, at least in the magazines and books I have collected, his clients included Shell, Air France and the French Tourist Office.
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Advertising Design, Corporate Identity & Branding, Design Archive Feature, Regional Histories
IBM puts a premium on functional design, forms and colours which make it far easier for the potential customer to gain an insight. In this respect the IBM methods are exemplary. The IBM already opened studios of artistic and graphic design for its German and Italian offices and a few years ago another such studio was established in Paris. Frank René Testemale was entrusted with its organisation and was appointed its business and art director.
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Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Poster Design, Regional Histories
The Paris Poster Hoardings of 1938. Posters gleam forth accentuating the melody of this city as they direct the eye to articles of everyday use and above all to people who are the talk of the hour.
Read ArticleExplore designers central to French graphic design including A.M. Cassandre, Jacques Nathan-Garamond, Jean Colin, Roman Cieślewicz, and Jean Carlu. See also 1930s graphic design history and 1950s graphic design history.
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