If you like the Pickles, Prithee, try the Sauce

I found this Victorian advertisement in Consuming Angels by Lori Anne Loeb in a book from the Library. This particular advertisement is for BATTY'S NABOB PICKLES. I was drawn to this advertisement because unlike MANY of the other Victorian ads I saw, this one was simplistic, minimalistic and to the point. As far as Victorian advertisements go, it has the often seen "catch phrase" at the top describing the product and a whimsical illustration dominating the ad. However, it seems to be missing an elaborate typeface, which was common in Victorian advertisements. While I was looking through Victorian ads, I noticed that most of the illustrations and "conversation" within the illustrations were likely meant to amuse, rather than to just inform. I definitely get that impression with this particular ad as it seems like they are mocking a child reaching into a cookie jar by replacing it with a man reaching into a pickle jar. The song-like text under the illustration is also playful and amusing.

This is a double page spread inspired by Horae in Laudem Beautissim ce Virginis Mariae Hours of Our Excellent Virgin Mary) by Geoffroy Troy, 1541. In the Renaissance when layouts and borders like this were popular, they were often found in books and manuscripts with a typeface that reflected the elegance of the border. The function of this type of layout would be to portray Biblical or academic writings.

The style of the F is typical of the Renaissance due to its embellished borders and grid-like square constraints. It also has the thicks and thins of the Renaissance style, as well as similar serifs.

I'm not sure if these days there would be a time, a place or an audience for a style like this, but if there were it would likely be for something earthy, to do with nature, or something biblical where a type of side story or related note could be portrayed in the border as it did in the Renaissance.

TED Talks

For the last couple years I've been watching TED talks before bed. Tonight I found an interesting and relevant one to GD History! Check it out:

http://www.ted.com/talks/rajesh_rao_computing_a_rosetta_stone_for_the_indus_script.html

Who can guess the rebus?

As clever as we think we are here in the 21st century, nothing quite compares to early illustration and attempts at initiating communication. Hieroglyphics often stood for actions and ideas, but also phonograms denoting sounds. Creating sounds with images was known as the rebus principle and was discovered by Jean-Francois Champollion in the early 1800's. Though it still is technically communicating a message, today the rebus is often seen as a game or whimsical message and can often be found in the top of beer bottles. Mickey's Fine Malt Liquor and Haffenreffer are two liquor companies that include the rebus in their cap. The rebus images, as they were when carved in stone, are still simple, minimalistic and to the point, as they are meant to be easily interpreted. I wonder, would the liquor companies would go through all that trouble if their beer caps were made of stone? Makes you want to give more credit to the Egyptians.

Can you guess the rebus? I honestly don't know how Champollion did it.

Naming a Blog

I'm not sure if I'm completely satisfied with the name of this blog. It does seem fitting, as the content for the blog isn't going to be my thoughts exactly, just what I think about things that already exist. I guess it'll do. Definitely a new logo though. I don't want the world thinking I'm some sort of recycling freak. I say that like the world is going to read this blog, I'm clearly delusional. Maybe I'll try and find a brain or something (if not for myself, at least for my logo).

This blog is mandatory as a part of my Graphic Design History class, so as for the content after today, I'm not sure what direction I'll be going in.

I'll cut it short now, because I don't want to get any hopes up by going in a direction and completely switching it up next week.

Wish me luck.