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H.P. Lovecraft / Cthulhu Mythos paperback covers (Ballantine, 1976)

Contributed by Florian Hardwig on Apr 24th, 2021. Artwork published in .
Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos by Lin Carter. [More info on ISFDB]
Source: www.abebooks.co.uk John Thompson. License: All Rights Reserved.

Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos by Lin Carter. [More info on ISFDB]

This series of paperback books by and about H.P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) and the Cthulhu Mythos was published by Ballantine Books in 1976 with related cover designs, all featuring art by Murray Tinkelman (1933–2016). It’s probably the most prominent in-use example of Moulin Rouge.

Drawn by Dave Davison for Photo-Lettering, the Art Nouveau-inspired design was shown in Volume 3 of the Alphabet Thesaurus from 1971 in three variants; Gothic (with lowercase), Caps (caps only, with some descending alternates), and Animated (with lowercase and many descending an ascending alternates for the caps). On the covers, Moulin Rouge is used in all caps and with EndcapS, i.e. taller first and last letters. While the letterforms for “Lovecraft” were squeezed, the titles were made wider through photographic means. Moulin Rouge is paired with ITC Korinna, a revival of a German Jugendstil roman from 1904.

Davison Moulin Rouge as shown in Photo-Lettering’s One Line Manual of Styles, 1971.
Photo: Florian Hardwig. License: CC BY-NC-SA.

Davison Moulin Rouge as shown in Photo-Lettering’s One Line Manual of Styles, 1971.

The Mask of Cthulhu by August Derleth. [More info on ISFB]
Source: www.pinterest.com License: All Rights Reserved.
The Trail of Cthulhu by August Derleth. [More info on ISFDB]
Source: www.biblio.com Mom’s Resale. License: All Rights Reserved.

The Mask of Cthulhu with spine and back cover.
Source: www.amazon.co.uk License: All Rights Reserved.

The Mask of Cthulhu with spine and back cover.

The Lurker at the Threshold, begun by H.P. Lovecraft and completed by August Derleth. [More info on ISFDB]
Source: www.amazon.de License: All Rights Reserved.

The Lurker at the Threshold, begun by H.P. Lovecraft and completed by August Derleth. [More info on ISFDB]

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft. [More info on ISFDB]
Source: www.pinterest.se License: All Rights Reserved.

The Doom That Came to Sarnath by H.P. Lovecraft. [More info on ISFDB]
Source: rubbersuitstudios.com License: All Rights Reserved.
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft. [More info on ISDFB]
Source: www.ebay.ca Dogtropolis. License: All Rights Reserved.

Lovecraft. A Biography by L. Sprague de Camp. Ballantine, 1976. [More info on ISFDB]
Source: www.flickr.com John Keogh. License: CC BY-NC.

Lovecraft. A Biography by L. Sprague de Camp. Ballantine, 1976. [More info on ISFDB]

6 Comments on “H.P. Lovecraft / Cthulhu Mythos paperback covers (Ballantine, 1976)”

  1. Nick Cooke of G-Type spotted a sign for a Briefmarken (postage stamps) shop in Vienna. Some letterforms – especially M, but also E and N – are remarkably similar to Moulin Rouge. Coincidence? Did Davison see this sign (given it is that old, and not a more recent faux vintage addition)? Or is there a common source, like a lettering model, or a metal typeface?

  2. Mark Owens says:
    Dec 20th, 2021 5:34 pm

    As of tomorrow, I will have all nine of the 1976 editions featuring Tinkelman’s cover art. The one not shown above is LOVECRAFT: A LOOK BEHIND THE CTHULHU MYTHOS by Lin Carter.

  3. Congrats, Mark!

    I didn’t necessarily aim to be exhaustive with this post, but the title you mention is shown at the very top, no?

  4. Mark Owens says:
    Dec 21st, 2021 11:27 pm

    Dear Florian,

    I humbly stand corrected and do apologize for overlooking the Lin Cater book. A fool I can be. Today I received my final book in my 1976 Lovecraft collection: THE TRAIL OF CTHULHU. Upon geting it, I took notice of something I had forgotten, which is the black & white preliminary art on the inside of the front and back covers (not the De Camp and Carter books). Splendid additions.

  5. I really like this typeface, and I’m amazed to only see it here and on the sample I found—Music and Your Mind. I suppose House Industries owns it, and it may never see the light of digital day?:(

  6. Hi Briar, it’s correct that House Industries acquired the Photo-Lettering assets, and I’d assume that includes the original plates of and rights to Davison Moulin Rouge. Have you asked House if they have plans to bring this design to digital? If they don’t, they might be open to let someone else have a go at it. Of course it’s also possible to draw an interpretation without their blessing, but I believe the right way to approach such projects is always to talk to the IP owner. Anyway, that’s a question for House Industries, not me.

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