Home to a taxidermy collection of over 700 bird specimens, the Bird Gallery at the museum has been a visitor favorite since 1908. This image was sourced from an archived museum newsletter.

The Everhart Museum, established 1908, is located in Scranton’s beloved Nay Aug Park.

For the banner redesign, I focused the messaging to describe what the museum continues to accomplish since its founding. Using verbs like Revealing, Inspiring, and Preserving, in tandem with imagery and artifacts from the collection, the banners celebrate the core tenets of the museum – natural history, science, local and folk art, mining heritage, and ornithology – as well as the vibrancy of the park it resides in.

See also the post about the museum’s general identity.

The Enlightening banner is a lithograph, Coal Town, by local artist, Michael J. Gallagher (1898–1965). The artwork not only speaks to the mining heritage of the area, but also the style of home that many families still live in today.

At the beginning of spring, a nearby bush sprouts beautiful flowers matching this exact shade of purple. The artwork featured here is Shimmering Wisteria by local artist and screen printer Jon Carsman (1944–1987). The museum holds many of his works.

The Revealing banner incorporates several of the fossils on display in the Natural History and Science galleries.

The Discovering banner is a collection of Dr. Everhart’s pressed flowers from his world travels. It not only speaks to the nature within the park, but to the founder’s curiosity and whimsy.

Western Birds. An Audubon Handbook by John Farrand Jr. helps readers identify “the over 460 species of birds regularly found east of the Rockies.” It is a lengthy yet compact softcover of 416 pages, 1,314 photographs, and 100,000 words. Published in 1988 by McGraw-Hill, Western Birds is one of several books Massimo Vignelli designed for the National Audubon Society.

The book’s page layouts are built upon a simple two column grid subdivided into ten modules. All text is flush left. Paragraphs are not indented nor are they separated by an empty line. This creates a sharp, mostly uniform line on the left edge of text columns. Their right edge, in contrast, is particularly ragged due to hyphenation being dispensed with all together. Although the lack of paragraph indents and spacing and of hyphenation is somewhat unusual for such a text-heavy book, it is a hallmark of books designed by Vignelli and many of his modernist peers.

The book was typeset by Dix Type in Century Expanded, one of Vignelli’s preferred typefaces. As Vignelli was wont to do, the italic is used liberally throughout. The title on the title page is kerned in Vignelli’s signature tight-not-touching style. Two subsequent section headings are kerned in the same way but the kerning (or, rather, lack thereof) of the rest of text leaves much to be desired. The spacing between the characters of the body text is much more open than the tight headings – just as one would hope and expect. The problem, however, is that for the rest of the book, in both the body and in headings, many letters have awkward gaps yawning between them.

The tightly kerned title with the author’s unkerned name below.

A rare case in Vignelli’s work where text appears to be evenly spaced between rules. Usually when using rules, Vignelli would set the text closer to the rule above than to the one below, creating the impression that text is hung from the rule above. In his Canon, he mentions this as a “small but important detail.” 

One of 168 black-and-white drawings

On pages where rules are separated by images or multiple lines of text, the text does look as if it is hung from the rule above.

No elements of the layouts for recto and verso pages are mirrored. Instead, each page is uniformly designed as if it was a verso page with the page number always placed on a page’s bottom left.

A quite obvious example of the book’s kerning issues

One of three headings where text is kerned in a manner one would expect from a Vignelli-designed book.

The first page of the Index is numbered but all subsequent pages are not.

Back cover with description in italic. The ISBN is added in OCR-A.

1977 pressing by Jubilee

Jackie McLean was born on this day in 1931. The debut album by the jazz alto saxophonist from Harlem was also the first release by record label Ad Lib, in 1956, under the title Presenting… Jackie McLean, with a cover by Parboo Singh.

When Jubilee Records reissued it in 1957, they commissioned Sy Leichman with a new cover. The only common feature between the two designs is the cat, here depicted with wings (or is it an owl with cattail?), miscellaneous geometric forms, four pairs of hands playing various instruments, and a blissful smile that echoes the sickle moon.

The typographic lockup is composed from the lightest weight of Peignot (Deberny & Peignot, 1937), with a superscript C.

[More info on Discogs]

Seymour “Sy” Leichman was two years younger than Jackie McLean: he was born in Brooklyn in 1933. In 1954, he graduated from Cooper Union (see his portrait in The Cable, the school’s student annual). Within a few years and together with photographer Charles Varon (an assistant of Richard Avedon), he accounted for about 100 record covers, according to a 1959 article in the Gettysburg Times. Leichman served as art director at KGA Sales Promotion Agency [Art Direction] and in 1961, he was with Ehrlich, Neuwirth & Sobo. [Art Direction] He co-founded Spencer & Leichman, later known as The Leichman Group, and also art directed at Ted Bates.

After this “short stint in the world of commercial art, Leichman visited Spain, to study Goya, and Mexico, to study the art of Orozco and his contemporaries. Leichman began exhibiting his work in New York around 1970. Today his art is included in such major collections as the Butler Institute of American Art. Seymour Leichman also taught as an art educator at the Art Students League of New York. Perhaps his best known works, however, are his children's books which he both authored and illustrated.” [RoGallery] Leichman died April 10th, 2016 in Manhattan. [obituary]

Detail

1971 reissue by Deep Groove, Japan

Description of the project by the designer Nikola Matošević, who used ALT Riviera throughout the identity:

Bithoot is a newly established digital agency, driven by a passionate team dedicated to building tailored digital solutions. They approached me to create their entire visual identity from the ground up, setting the stage for their brand as they step into the industry.

At the heart of Bithoot's identity design is a fresh logo featuring an owl—a symbol of wisdom that speaks to their strategic approach. This is complemented by a defining graphic element: a line with a loop.

The straight line represents established, mainstream methods, while the loop represents young minds in tech that bring disruptive and innovative ideas to established and mainstream methods. Bithoot's team aims to challenge convention and inspire change.

With a fresh logo and cohesive brand elements, I worked closely with the client to define a bold identity that reflects their mission: to deliver impactful, customized digital experiences. This comprehensive branding captures their commitment to innovation and collaboration, positioning them as a trusted partner in the digital space.

Hoot Productions is a boutique production, production management and post production company. Agency Cause Farm asked graphic designer George P. Wilson to design the logo. He has provided identity design services and illustration, two skills that were brilliantly combined here.

Wilson used two typefaces: Moulin for “HOOT”, and Articulat CF as companion.

Sant’Or is the first certified biodynamic winery in Greece. As this is an important advantage of the winery, Kommigraphics were assigned the redesign of the winery’s labels, with the aim of enhancing the biodynamic and vegan nature of the different wines it produces.

The design of the labels refers to the fauna of the area Santameri in Achaea, which is where the Sant’Or winery is located. Through an abstract and at the same time archaic-ish design of the illustrated animals and insects, they aimed at the emotional and direct connection of the consumer with the product and consequently with the winery.

The logotype is set in Cako. The accompanying sans appears to be GT America Expanded.

Gordita is used for the design studio’s presentation, but is not part of the winery’s identity.

The cover depicts Germania holding a torch in her right hand and a shield with a double-headed eagle in her left. The silver text uses Preciosa with its decorated capitals.

Bauer was a German type foundry established by Friedrich W. Bauer and Karl Rupprecht in Stuttgart in 1880. It’s not to be confused with the Bauer (or Bauersche) foundry in Frankfurt am Main, which was started in 1837 by Friedrich’s father, Johann Christian Bauer. Bauer jr. left the company in 1887, but the established Bauer & Co. name was continued. Rupprecht added a branch in Düsseldorf in 1892. On 9 November 1897, Bauer & Co. was acquired by the H. Berthold AG in Berlin.

This is their 1895 type specimen book titled Neue Gesammt-Probe (“New comprehensive specimen”). Stiftung Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin digitized a copy from their Günter Gerhard Lange Collection. Shown here are the cover, the title pages, the foreword, and the opening pages for the four sections.

The main typefaces used for the book design are Preciosa and Carmen, two typefaces that were released by Bauer & Co. shortly before.

In 2022, I made a digital interpretation of Carmen named Amabilis Veneriana. It covers the two original weights plus an open Hollow style. I found the base character set in the third edition of Ludwig Petzendorfer’s Schriften-Atlas from 1898.

The half-title page features Carmen in regular and bold.

The ornate title page combines Preciosa and Carmen. The small type at the top is set in the English cut of Mediäval-Antiqua, with oldstyle figures. “Neue Ausgabe 1895” uses the corresponding Kursiv.

Page with room for a dedication. The company name at the top is in Carmen again. The text integrated in the sign held by the girl on the stairs is set in Gutenberg-Gotisch, “gewidmet” is in Triumph-Schreibschrift, and “Anmerkung” in Mercantil-Kursiv.

Foreword with a headline in Carmen and text in Mediäval-Antiqua with halbfett. The initial D is taken from Preciosa.

Title page for the first section with Werkschriften (“work[horse] typefaces”) and Zeitungsschriften (“newspaper typefaces”), in Fraktur and Antiqua styles. The typography pairs Enge verzierte Altdeutsch and Altdeutsch. The latter is Bauer & Co.’s recutting of Caxton Black. The small text uses their Schwabacher.

Title page of the second section with Auszeichnungsschriften (“typefaces for emphasis”, i.e, display type) and Accidenzschriften (“jobbing typefaces”), with more Mediäval-Antiqua and Preciosa

The third section comprises Kursivschriften (“italic typefaces”), Rund- und Schreibschriften (“typefaces for circulars and script typefaces”), Zeichen (“symbols”), Initialen (“initials”) and Verschiedenes (“misc.”). The featured typefaces include Triumph-Schreibschrift, Mediäval-Kursiv, and Mercantil-Kursiv.

The fourth and final section deals with Polytypen (″polytypes”), Einfassungen (“borders”), Vignetten (“vignettes”) and Zierat (“ornaments”).

“Carefree Dance Club” is a T-shirt collection released by Japanese denim and clothing brand Edwin in 2023.

The main graphic is set in Oakley Bold and Bold Italic, by Mark van Leeuwen. The Japanese text is custom drawn and/or from an unidentified typeface [it’s AB Polcadot and AB Quadra, see comments].

Front cover

From Wikipedia:

In 1962, Golden Records released a record album of six ghost stories for children titled Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Ghost Stories for Young People. The album, which opens with the Charles Gounod Alfred Hitchcock Presents theme music, is hosted by Hitchcock himself, who begins, "How do you do, boys and girls. I'm delighted to find that you believe in ghosts, too. After all, they believe in you, so it is only common courtesy to return the favor."

Hitchcock introduces each of the stories, all the while recounting a droll story of his own failed attempts to deal with a leaky faucet (which at the conclusion of the album leads to Hitchcock "drowning" in his flooded home). The ghost stories themselves, accompanied by minimal sound effects and music, are told by actor John Allen, four of which he wrote himself and two of which are adaptations:

1. "The Haunted and the Haunters (The Pirate's Curse)"
2. "The Magician ('Til Death Do Us Part)"
3. "Johnny Takes a Dare (The More the Merrier)"
4. Saki's "The Open Window" (special adaptation)
5. "The Helpful Hitchhiker"
6. Walter R. Brooks' "Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons"

The album title combines Photo-Lettering’s Deckel Edge, a design by Davis Pennington which is a textured variant of Pennington’s Slanted Sable, and Kress Interlock, a design by George Kress. Additional text on the front cover appears to be set in Microgramma. The back cover features a lengthy note on ghosts from Alfred Hitchcock set in a rather soft Caslon Antique. The tracklisting pairs Akzidenz-Grotesk (a.k.a. Standard) with Trade Gothic.

Designer/s unknown.

Further album information at Discogs.

Back cover. Compare to this alternate (original?) back cover with no tracklisting and only previews of other Golden Records albums.

Front cover of original 1962 Golden Records issue without Wonderland as second label.

We loved pairing DaVinci and TAN Waverly in our storytelling experience in order to give us that illustrated book feel. Waverly’s awesome details are showcased in headings throughout the whole microsite.

“MTL You’re so fly” is part of Leeroy's Playground, a creative space used to experiment technically, visually, while pushing boundaries of artistry and inventiveness.

E. Oettel, Philadelphia Reliable Fancy Bakery and Confectionery.
All kinds of Cakes, Pies, Creams, Water Ices, and Home Made Bread.
No. 506 Manor Street, Lancaster, Pa.
Special attention given to wedding and party orders.
Stands at Eastern, Central, and Southern Markets.

An elaborate business card printed by David Bachman Landis of Pluck Art Printery (later known as Landis Art Print) in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.

The wavy, wiry vertical lines that Landis used to separate the “Special Attention” section on the left from the main “E. Oettel” portion of the card come from a set of “Capital Ornaments” dated 1891 that was available from the Barnhart Brothers & Spindler (BB&S) type foundry. Landis also used these separators in a number of other printed pieces. See, for instance, the following examples:

• Charles S. Frantz, Graduate Ophthalmic Optician, Watchmaker, and Jeweler, Lancaster, Pa.
• A. H. Herr, Mill Creek Dairy, Lancaster, Pa.
• J. M. Trout, Fire Sand Quarries, Landisville, Pennsylvania, ca. 1890s

BB&S also sold a set of “Brownies” characters that included the tiny owl in the upper left-hand corner.

Typefaces: Duerer (“Fancy Bakery and Confectionery”), Pynson (“All kinds of Cakes, Pies, Creams, Water Ices, and”), Hansard (“Home Made Bread”), Dante (“No. 506 Manor Street”), and Old Style Bold (“Lancaster, Pa.”). The unidentified typeface used here for “E. Oettel” appears to be the same as the one selected for “J. M. Trout” on the J. M. Trout, Fire Sand Quarries card [edit: it’s Eclipse Shaded].

Originally published by Collins in 1967, The Owl Service is a low fantasy novel for young adults. It won author Alan Garner (b. 1934) the annual Carnegie Medal and was made into a TV series in 1969.

The shown hardback edition from the Folio Society was published in 2013, with a preface by Susan Cooper. The illustrations are by Darren Hopes, with endpapers and title-page decoration by Garner’s wife, Griselda Greaves. It’s housed in a custom-made slipcase with green buckram ends and pale-green Clairefontaine Ingres papered sides.

The display typeface used on the spine and the title page is Ambicase Modern. In the first release by Teeline Fonts from 2011, type designer Craig Eliason explored the combination of upper- and lowercase forms – not side by side, but within the same letters. While the individual components look familiar, the combination exudes a strange and mysterious aura, not unlike the cover illustration of the girl with the owl face composed of plant parts.

Show post/poster for The Supplements at Miami bar/venue Thank You Miami. Two typefaces often miscredited to David Carson are used, Big Ed and Serifedsans. Edwin Utermohlen designed Big Ed in 1995. Address details come courtesy of Benton Sans Compressed as it’s the more legible choice to Serifedsans at such a low size.

Some 1990s/Wolf of Wall Street influence, for sure. I actually used some AI to sketch out an image based on keywords, then remade/refined with Photoshop.

Published by Nucleo, Unnützes Wissen für Potter-Fans (“Useless knowledge for Potter fans”) ist set in JAF Herb and Arek.

Cera and Aglet Mono teamed up for the rebrand of IT company ConnectWise. Cera, a geometric sans, corresponds to the circular curves of the owl logo and is also used for running text. Aglet Mono, a more stylized monospace with its angularity and rounded edges, is used for titling and messaging, communicating the technological basis of the company without appearing too technical or dated.

Signage for IT Nation conference

Signage for IT Nation conference

Signage for IT Nation conference

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators describes itself as “the preeminent membership organization for children’s book creators,” with a global community also extending to “translators, publishers, librarians, advocates, and other industry professionals.”

Ben Loiz describes his work redesigning the organization’s identity system:

The shape of the owl’s beak is in the likeness of a writers ink pen nib which points back to the creative community they serve. Various logo lockups were designed for maximum flexibility. The new mark is durable and works at all sizes, from a billboard, to an app icon, social profile, or web browser favicon.

We teamed up with Jesse Ragan from XYZ Type to slightly adjust Escalator, one of his typefaces. SCBWI Escalator was used in the logotype and as part of their new identity system.

In the slightly customized version of Escalator the curled descender on the y was replaced by a straight diagonal stroke in all styles.

See the full case study on Ben Loiz Studio’s site.

SCBWI Escalator has a straight diagonal descender on the y

SCBWI’s previous logo

SaviBank is a community bank headquarted in Skagit, Washington. Since 2015 it’s been using Nordique for their new brand and identity.

The slogan “The Wise Choice” is added in Futura.

Poster design for a Boxing Day event by Good Company Records in Perth, 2019. The brief called for a “riff on Christmas symbology”, with the final design referencing generic pre-Christian/pagan Yule festivals.

Canadian indie rockers Half Moon Run are out and about with a new tour! This P1-sized poster was designed by Alex Tomlinson and features his unreleased typeface Nay Aug, alongside Darden Studio’s Halyard Display.

Dates are accentuated with a custom Variable Moon Phases Font. As the font is only a single character, it probably doesn't warrant inclusion in the Fonts In Use catalog – but I thought it would be fun to mention!

In the new city hall of Tilburg the windows of five conference rooms were decorated with birds with specific dialect names. The texts were typeset in TilburgsAns, a typeface based on the idiosyncratic, raw, experimental, humorous and surprising character of this city. TilburgsAns is distributed for free and aimed to connect the Tilburg inhabitants to the city and each other.

The birds were drawn in the same iconic style as the pictograms that are part of the typeface. They are a symbol for the different ‘voices’ of the city dwellers.