I love books that celebrate a company’s history — I must have two dozen of them, easy! My grabbing them up has less to do with my affinity for the actual corporation, and more with how much fun they seem to be having tooting their own horn. They always capture the spirit of the times with their use of graphics, etc., and they’re so often published with lovely production values.
One of my favorite corporate chest-bangers is “50 Years Of Schwinn Built Bicycles” published in 1945. I’m not sure if it was originally released with a dust-jacket or not — I’ve never seen one — but its brown cloth cover has gilt script title lettering meant to present a special occasion. The sepia pen-and-ink illustrations throughout the volume were done by William “Wm” Mark Young (1892-1948), and meant to evoke a classic intaglio technique which Young worked in as well. Young spent most of his time in California but seemed to have several clients (Northern Trust Bank,1933-34 Century Of Progress Exposition, Magill-Weisheimer Publishing, etc.) in Chicago. Perhaps Windy City-based Schwinn became familiar with Young’s work after seeing it used regionally. Photographs and tinted photo-illustrations also fill out the tome.
Ignaz Schwinn The Elder – Happy guy !
The beginning of the illustrations, all rendered by Wm. Mark Young.
Nice northeast view of the Michigan Avenue bridge – with a curious focus on the American Furniture Mart in the center/right.
FINALLY – some color !!
Ignaz upon retirement.
3 Schwinn Head-badges from the JJSP collection. I asked Ben Bochner, a good friend in high school, if I could have the “Chicago” plate off his bike. He said yes, but regrets it to this day. . .
Anyone who grew up watching Captain Kangaroo in the morning remembers that he was the spokesman (there’s that pun again) for Schwinn.
I purposely didn’t venture into Schwinn “Sting-Ray”-land. That’s easily a post of its own…
By Lawrence Zeegen and Caroline Roberts
Delve into the vibrant history of contemporary illustration with Fifty Years of Illustration by Lawrence Zeegen and Caroline Roberts. Whether you want to learn more about the flagrant idealism of the 1960s, the austere realism of the 1970s, the superfluous consumerism of the 1980s, the digital eruption of the 1990s, or the rapid diversification of illustration in the early 2000s, get an in-depth look at the historical contexts pertaining to the important artifacts and artists of the illustration industry in the latter half of the 20th century.
Introductory essays and profiles of prominent practitioners, as well as examples of their work, detail the influence and impact of contemporary illustration on design and popular culture. Explore the historical, sociological, political, and cultural factors that influenced contemporary illustration, and let full-color works from leading illustrators bring each decade to life. Get it here.