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Design Category
Book design, 2006
Design firm
Phaidon Press Ltd. (New York, New York)
Collection
(2007) 50 Books/50 Covers of 2006
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Sir Ernst Gombrich (1909–2001) enjoyed a standing in the art world and a popularity with both experts and a vast general readership alike that remain unrivalled to this day. The Story of Art is the most famous and popular book on art ever written: it has sold more than 7 million copies over the past 50 years. For the new pocket edition, this classic has been transformed from a 668-page, 3.5-pound original, into a manageable, handy-size format.
To reduce the bulk of the pages, the text section was printed in one color (black) on off-white bible paper, followed by the plates section on coated art paper. There are two ribbon markers, one for each section, to make referencing easier. Instead of the conventional shrink-wrapping, this book is hand-wrapped in glassine like a parcel, making you feel as you unwrap it that this is a special object.
“Art book as book block—or blockbuster. Dense but with paper light as a feather.”
“Nice contemporary solution for an academic book.”