As I lay on my hotel bed listening to the soothing tones of “My Way” by Sinatra and the “Godfather” theme emanating from the Piazza San Minerva in Rome, I have thoughts of Paul Rand. There are not too many books about or artifacts by Paul Rand in Italy, although his seminal Thoughts on Design, which was published in 1947 by Wittenborn (although this smaller version was published in 1948 by Studio Books in London) and reprinted in 2014 by Chronicle Books was translated in 2016 for Postmedia Srl in Milan. It contains two of his few Italian-ish jobs too. Nice to see the words are read and the pictures have made it to (the) boot.
“A Bell for Adano” was not an Italian book or written by an Italian author but it was set in Italy.
Olivetti was an Italian company and design guru Giovanni Pintori who commissioned this advert was Italy’s Paul Rand.
If you can read the mother tongue, your can read more about Rand.
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About Steven Heller
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →