02.28.09
Eric Baker | Today Column

Today, 02.28.09


Here are Today’s images.





























Eric Baker Design Associates is a Manhattan-based design firm established in 1986. Eric teaches the history of graphic design and corporate identity at the School of Visual Arts, and has twice received National Endowment for the Arts Grants for independent design history projects. He is inveterate collector of books and ephemera. Editor's Note: All images link to their original source and are copyright their original owners.





Comments [18]

(The "The men who do nothing but..." link goes to the same image as the one which precedes it.)
quarkdoll
02.28.09
10:26

Thanks for "Firite Stoker" Its just the right combination of beautiful type and natural rust texture. Stunning.
Samantha Warren
02.28.09
11:01

I look forward to this post every week.
Spencer Lemon
02.28.09
11:36

nice!
Tal
02.28.09
01:40

I think this may be a nice way to introduce readers to other exciting sites that have sensibilities similar to those of the Design Observer's.
Kevin McDonagh
02.28.09
01:42

Thanks for some new (old) design pieces from Paul R&
pat Taylor
02.28.09
01:51

Do you realize that image #5 has been used before...in January?
john steinkamp
02.28.09
10:34

Since a few of these photos come from our flickr site, can I (along with Katie Varrati) make an open request/plea for people interested in graphic design history to actively participate in our ongoing history project there?

We've currently got a huge selection of vintage ads from space and tech magazines from the 50s and 60s (we've got about 500+ more if we can ever get around to scanning and posting them), but of course the only people credited are the ad agencies. There's a huge body of really strong graphic design here that isn't properly credited to its creators, not just their space-buying agencies.

We're open to guesses or any leads whatsoever...even if its like "that looks like so and so's work." Already Lou Danziger has noticed some of his own work and let us know that Dorothy Danziger did the illustrations for it. I don't know how we would have ever found that out if this site weren't up.

No offense to Eric, but part of my major pet peeve with showing "visual inspiration" like this is that it 1) lacks proper crediting of its authors/creators; and 2) lacks context. Realizing we're as much of the problem as we are the solution a lot of times (and fully aware of its difficulties), I'm hoping something like this current project will "open source" some of the solution as well as create a dialogue for the community to engage in.
Derrick Schultz
03.01.09
02:57

open request/plea for people interested in graphic design history to actively participate in our ongoing history project there

You must be new here.
That sounds vaguely similar to a plea to contribute to/fix the design entries at Wikipedia. Perhaps Rick Poynor will now write a scathing review of your silly little Flickr set's errors, to the exclusion of almost any value it may conceivably have.
Su
03.01.09
11:43

I would definitely like to see that review
Steinkamp
03.02.09
01:25

Su,

Sadly, not new here...and I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not, so I'm not sure how or where I should take my "silly little Flickr set"...

I wouldn't be against any sort of harsh criticism, from him or anyone...though you seem somewhat unwilling to contribute your own--at least nothing more than snarkiness devoid of actual criticism and veiled in vagueness. Perhaps I'm missing something here?

I can't speak to the whole Wikipedia error thing. Its seems like a bit of a stretch to link the two ideas together, but go for it. One is a site proclaiming itself to be both large and serious, our silly little flickr being certainly little, and I hope only somewhat silly with a glimmer of something more.

Maybe its not important to you--that's cool. It might be important to others and I hope they find some interest in it. Eric Baker seems to...
Derrick Schultz
03.02.09
02:21

Su,

Snarky, snarky, snarky.

Eric Baker
Eric Baker
03.02.09
10:21

Now, there's a word rapidly slipping into meaninglessness. [That's not a complaint.]

Eric,
If what I said were just snark, I'd suspect—even expect—that it would already have been deleted. Derrick unfortunately did get the impression I thought his project was crap and has a follow-up e-mail from me already. Here, I have nothing to add.
Su
03.02.09
12:05

Wow, there are some crazy images in todays gallery. Really got me thinking differently today. It made me want to try some new things with my upcoming work. I really like the buy graphic, towards the end. You always find some good stuff. Keeps me coming back to the design observer. Thanks for another great post.
Adam
03.03.09
02:48

Yeah yeah my beef with Su has been squashed.

Sucks cause I was a few tracks into my mixtape response...so many words that rhyme with Su, I was killing it.
Derrick Schultz
03.03.09
03:17

Such a nice mix of neat thinking/application/nuance. I have wondered how the collections are compiled? Is it images come across throughout your week - and the list stands as a found object/image collection (contextless, but also some kind of narrative!) or is it sourced purposefully? (Criteria?) Sorry if this has been explained before - Im relatively new to DO.
Bonnie
03.03.09
10:01

hmm the joys of good design.
This made my terrible night so much better.
Lindsey M.
03.10.09
11:17

Loving the mail Gentlemen's agreement image. Classic.
Creative Agency Manchester
03.13.09
10:49


Jobs | March 29