Selling type users on certain styles of photo type meant that Photo-Lettering Inc. contrived to make typographic fashions. A big one—a conceit that was big in the early 1970s—was nostalgia, even for things, places, and times that one did not actually live through.
This catalog, simply titled Nostalgia (A Collection of Nostalgic Alphabets, 1972, designed by Ed Benguiat (cover), Roberet Benfatto, Michcael Lauretano, George Jadowski, Leo Castriota, Dave West, Michael Doret, Peter Morance, Barry Zaid, Vincent Pacella, Richard Schneider, and Bill Borman), focused on the ’20s and ’30s, and framed the type sales pitch using the leading movie stars of the day. Back in the day, their press photos appeared as premiums on the tops of ice cream cups. I can still taste the fatteningly sweet vanilla fudge ice cream as I browse through these tasty types.
For more on Photo-Lettering visit House Industries’ website. And for more on House’s acquisition of Photo-Lettering read The Atlantic here.
.For more Steven Heller, check out The Education of a Graphic Designer—one of the many Heller titles available at MyDesignShop.com.