Streamlined Zoo

Henri Creuzevault, The Jungle Book binding, 1925

I am working on a lesson about the graphic design of the 1920s and 30s,

hence the inspiration for this elegant Art Deco menagerie.

For more designs from the era, you may take a tour here and there.

 Edward McKnight Kauffer, poster for the London Underground, 1923, 

thanks to Cabinet Magazine

Rembrandt Bugatti, Nubian Lion, ca.1910 

Jean Carlu, Aquarium de Monaco, 1926, thanks to Pignouf

Japanese sculpture, 1928, thanks to Paris Originals

 Edmund Bartlomiejczyk, 1929

Art Deco Llama made from Glass and silver, thanks to Lost Found

Dinner menu from the Orient Line Orion, 1937, thanks to Bonito Club

Fábrica de Loiça de Sacavém

 Japanese New Year's Card, 1932, thanks to Aqua-Velvet

Edouard-Marcel Sandoz

Ceramiche Rometti, Rondini, 1936

An Angel Fish from Penrose magazine, 1930,

thanks again to The Visual Telling of Stories

Mad Men & Crazy Critters, 7th episode: Freshly Packed

King Pelican Lettuce, circa 1920

My original plans for today's posting changed when I arrived by chance at Box of Apples, the online museum and gift shop of fruit crate labels from the 1900-1950s era. This well done and clever website is a spin-off of Plan59.com, a great online museum dedicated to mid-century illustration (both sites haven't been updated for quite a while, but hopefully they are alive and well). Being a sucker for ephemera, I suddenly realized there's been too little of it on Animalarium since last November's post on matchbox labels. And on this hot afternoon those plump and juicy vintage fruits and vegetables look terribly inviting, even without the addition of crazy crate critters...

Boyhood Grapefruit, circa 1920s

Mountain Goat Apples, circa 1920s

Golden Eagle Oranges, circa 1930s

Venice Cove Oranges, circa 1930s

Antonio Escandell Oranges, circa 1940s

Scotty's Best Pears, 1940s

Piggy Pears, circa 1940s

Tie-It-On Apples, circa 1940s

Coon Sweet Potatoes, circa 1940s

Then for some reason, around the 1950s veggies turn aggressive,

as you can see:

Up n'Atom Carrots, circa 1950s

Killer Vegetables, circa 1950s

for more bright and extravangant vintage crate labels, 

head to Box of Apples' plentiful galleries!

Mad Men & Crazy Critters - 6th episode: Hounds of Love

Edward Penfield, Harper's poster, 1897

Traditionally employed by the upper classes in coursing, hunting and racing, 

the hound's beautiful breeds were also put to good use by many commercial 

and decorative artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Steinlen, Clinique Chéron,1905

Auguste Roubille, Spratt's Patent,1909 

Lucian Zabel, Excelsior Tires,1909 

thanks to susanlenox's Vintage German Ilustration flickr set

Julius Gipkens, Heinemann's Rohrmöbel, 1912

thanks to Ștefan Lucuţ's Baubauhaus flickr set

Both Art Nouveau's love of elegant and curvilinear silhouettes 

and Art Deco's fascination with speed and all things streamlined 

found an ideal subject in these dogs' graceful and sleek bodies.

Carter Housh, McCall's Magazine cover, February 1914

from MagazineArt.org

Two posters by Ludwig Hohlwein, 1912 and 1927

thanks to Susan Lenox and Ștefan Lucuţ on flickr

Baldrich, ads for Derma-Calber dentifrice and cosmetics, 1920

thanks to Art Deco blog

Dutch poster for the 1916 Utrecht Dog Show and

Scena Illustrata cover by Paul Valentin(?), 1927

thanks to Jan Willemsen's Old Posters flickr set

In the 1920s hounds had become a popular fashion accessory, 

appearing in hundreds of photos and illustrations along with 

the pure, elongated lines of the female style of the era.

But that will be dealt with more at lenght in a future post! 

Children of the Revolution, part 1

Those of you who have been following Animalarium for a while are aware of my special interest in children's book illustrators of the early Soviet era. In fact, that's part of a larger fascination with Russian art and design of the 1910-30s, including advertising and propaganda, movie posters (I absolutely love the Stenberg brothers), applied arts, etc. Lately I have been collecting favorite pictures of book covers from books and websites, and now it's time to share some. I am trying to keep them in chronological order since it's interesting to see how they tend to change in time. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Kuz’ma Petrov-Vodkin for Koza-dereza (The roguish goat), traditional Ukrainian tale, 1923

Borys Kriukov for Koza-dereza, 1920s

Sergej Cechonin for Gosti (The guests) by E. Polonskaja, 1924

Aleksej Radakov for Strasnyj son (A terrible dream), 1925

Vladimir Lebedev for Azbuka (ABC-book) by Samuil Marshak, 1925

K. Kuznetsov for Teterev-kosach, 1926

Nikolaj Tyrsa for Voennye koni (War horses), 1927

Vladimir Lebedev for Cirk (The circus) by Samuil Marshak, 1928

Lidiia Popova for Kon'ogon' (The fiery horse) by Vladimir Mayakovsky, 1928

Eduard Krimmer for Mena (The exchange) by Rudyard Kipling, 1929

Borys Kriukov for Numo, khto kinets' znajde? by Sofiia Fedorchenko, 1929

Vladimir Konasevic for Pozar (The fire) by Samuil Marshak, 1929

Ivan Efimov for Mena (The exchange), 1929

Lev Judin for Kto? (Who?) by A. Vvedenskij, 1930

Borys Kriukov for Pro svynku-shchetynku, chornesen'ku spynku by A. Kovalens'kyj, 1930

Many thanks to the online archives of the Museum of Rare Books at the National Library of Ukraine for Children, the Soviet Children's Picture Books Collection at the International Institute of Social History, and the virtual exhibition Children's Books of the Early Soviet Era at the Rare Books and Special Collections Division of McGill University Libraries.