Penguin Books: Cultural Icon

PENGUIN BOOKS: CULTURAL ICON SAHAR ROODEHCHI

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FICTION

FICTION

PENGUIN BOOKS

PENGUIN BOOKS: CULTURAL ICON

PENGUIN BOOKS: CULTURAL ICON AN ESSAY ON THE CULTURAL PHENOMENON OF PENGUIN BOOKS IN BOOK HISTORY BY

SAHAR ROODEHCHI

PENGUIN BOOKS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I’d like to acknowledge my ELCS6091Codex to Kindle module and our tutor, Tony McNeill.

I’d also like to acknowledge the literary scene of London as my inspiration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ESSAY APPENDIX: PENGUIN BOOKS IN LONDON SHOPS BIBLIOGRAPHY

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n the city of London, Penguin Books is more than a publishing brand: it is a cultural phenomenon. The classic covers are seen everywhere, from mugs to canvas bags to rows of shelves at bookstores. What was it about this publishing company that made it such a phenomenon? In this paper, I will analyze Penguin Books’ founding ideals as well as their design standards; then, I will look at examples of outside works that have used the Penguin image and ultimately reiterated those founding ideals to establish the long-lasting idolization of the brand today.

In 1935, Allen Lane established Penguin books with the aim of publishing good writing in paperback form for the same price as a pack of cigarettes. Lane’s hope was to democratize reading and make books more accessible for everyone (Rawsthorn). However, Lane did not only want low prices. He prioritized the quality of his paperbacks, and this meant the design as well. Standardizing the design of the books made sense from a utilitarian perspective, in order to keep costs low (Rawsthorn). Thus, Edward Young came up with a basic cover, split into three sections on a grid. Each cover was color-coded. An orange book marked fiction, green marked crime, dark blue marked biography, cerise marked travel, and red marked plays (Baines 19). The design utilized simple fonts in the middle section, denoting the title of the book and the author, with minimum illustration. The cover drew focus to the Penguin brand with both “Penguin Books” written at the top, as well as a logo of a penguin at the bottom. For the “dignified, but flippant” logo, Edward Young was sent to the London Zoo where he spent the day making sketches of the penguin’s poses (Sagar). However, these designs were only a precursor to the design that would soon be the poster image of Penguin Books.

In 1947, Jan Tschichold, the most famous typographer at the time, took over to establish a fully standardized design for Penguin books. Until this point, the books that had been published through Penguin were similar, but still varied based on each individual printer’s attempts to replicate the Penguin standard cover.This left small differences in the design of the Penguin Books. In fact, up to that point, there had been numerous variations on the Penguin logo itself (Baines 51). When Jan Tschichold took over, then, he specified the standard size and design for every element of the book, from the logo to the smallest details like the size of the spaces between letters (Rawsthorn). In the essay, “Something about Book Design,” written prior to his time

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at Penguin, Tschichold outlined his guiding principles regarding book design, focusing on the importance of unity in the book production process, as he asked “To what should one pay particular attention in designing the book as a unified whole? To simple ‘little things’” (Tschichord 78). Such attention to detail is evident in Tschichold’s grid-based design, and he ensured that all printers followed the example he had set. In fact, he even released a leaflet known as the Penguin Composition Rules with the exact instructions to create his typographic style (Baines 51). Because of Tschichold, the design of Penguin Books was considerably cleaned up, and, more importantly, they would be consistent.

However, the classic design was not the only design coming from Penguin. Tschichold carried out redesigns for certain series. One notable example was the printing of Shakespeare plays. The design of the Shakespeare books was recognized as “one [of] the most beautiful of Tschichold’s works” (Baines 60). He used red type, thicker paper, and even hired one of England’s most recognized wood engravers to make a portrait of Shakespeare for the cover (Baines 60). Such precise care and deliberate attention showcased the passion that Tschichold truly had for his work. By treating the designs of books as though they were art, he gave Penguin Books the quality it was looking for. Because of Tschichold’s work, the publishing house was able to release books that were not only accessible, but desirable as well.

After Tschichold, there were a number of famous designers at Penguin. Once Tschichold left the company, typographer Hans Schmoller took over as head of design. Schmoller then perfected a design that Tschichold had started: a design based on a vertical grid rather than a horizontal one (Baines 79). These covers reiterated the orderly and impeccable design of the books that were being released by Penguin. As Hans Schmoller continued in his career, eventually becoming a director of the company, he worked with a number of Penguin redesigns, playing with colors and illustration. He actually revised the Penguin Composition Rules that Tschichold had written. He had established his own legacy (Baines 96). After Schmoller would come a number of equally talented designers, each of whom would create beautiful book covers for the publishing house. Germano Facetti and Romek Marber would create a new grid for crime novels in 1961 (Baines 103).

In 1965, Alan Aldridge would create covers that were more like movie posters, geared toward the title rather than toward the publishing brand (Baines 132). Still, Schmoller, Facetti, Marber, Aldridge, and all the designers that came after them would not be able to replace the classic cover that Tschichold had created. In the public eye today, Tschichold’s design is always the standard image of Penguin.

However, this was not always the case. In fact, for many years, Tschichold’s design, while popular with typographers and designers, had disappeared from public view, as most books had gone to collectors. In 2002, designer Tony Davis, who remembered seeing the classic books as a child, decided to begin a project of designing objects with the classic book covers. The idea was to use the utilitarian, mass-market design in order to create products that, like Allen Lane’s paperbacks, were affordable and high quality. At the time that the project began, it was believed to be for a limited audience and thought that “people over 50 will really love this” (“Penguin Books”). However, the project boomed, and all ages responded to the designs. It was a wildly successful project, and many products came from it, from mugs to canvas bags to deckchairs and a board game. Bookshops began selling the Penguin products in addition to the books that already lined the shelves., The company of Penguin Books itself saw the possibilities in the project. At the time, in 2012, publishers were facing the challenges posed by the advent of e-books, and were looking for ways to bring in more money. Tony Davis’ project, then, was the perfect opportunity for Penguin. They bought the project so that they could sell the products directly (“Penguin Books”). With this, the image of Penguin became widespread. Some, however, were critical of Penguin’s involvement in this project. The endeavor was referred to as “a once-radical publisher flogging its illustrious history” (Cummins). Davis, however, defended his project, writing,“What is unusual, in a sea of logos ‘stuck on stuff’ and often empty ‘styling’, is the opportunity to work with a corporation, and a brand identity, that carries with it generations of personal experience all the way from the 1930s” (Davis).

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Inherent to the Penguin image is the nostalgic charm it carries with it, and this then explains its boom in popularity.

A further example of Penguin’s cover design being readapted by art is the work of Harland Miller.

Miller grew up surrounded by Penguin books because his father was a collector. When he was older and living in Paris, then, booksellers along the Seine reminded him of the books and he began creating oil paintings of Penguin editions. He has continued to create these paintings for more than twenty years, and his works often implement his sardonic sense of humor (Stott).When he began his project, Miller was concerned that Penguin would take legal action against him for copyright infringement.While it was hinted at years ago, Penguin never took out a lawsuit. It is speculated that they saw Miller’s art as an opportunity the likes of Warhol’s Campbell Soup can (Stott). In any case, Penguin ultimately embraced the art, eventually commissioning the artist to create a series to be hung up in Penguin offices worldwide. According to the current chairman of Penguin, “What I love in Harland’s work is that, although it’s obviously his take on the Penguin design heritage, it is amazingly true to the spirit of the Penguin cover” (Stott). What both Miller’s art and Davis’ design project show, then, is the democratization of the Penguin image. Though it was initially designed decades ago, it continues to be seen in the public eye, not because of the actions of the Penguin publishing house, but because of the work of the people who resonate with the image.

In fact, the Penguin image has resonated with so many people that is has created a sort of community.

Take, for instance, a man Alec began an online community on penguinfirsteditions.com. Alec began collecting Penguin books in 1978, as he found them perfect for building a collection. According to Alec, “Whoever thought of the idea of numbering books - and on the spine - struck an accord with collectors. It meant that not only could one collect certain authors or by subject, but with Penguins one could collect them as a numbered series” (“The Story of ‘penguinfirsteditions.com’”). Alec eventually collected over 2,500 books. However, when he needed to get rid of them, he decided he would use the collection he had already built to create an online catalogue of Penguin First Editions, so that everyone would have access to them (“The Story of ‘penguinfirsteditions.com’”). Another similar project is the Penguin Archive at the University of Bristol, which houses all of the books that have come off of the Penguin presses, as well as notes and letters related to the development of the company. The archive is a major site for British literary history and it is believed, “The line-up of these books alone, all cheaply printed, and some bound with staples rather than stitching, is a perfect record of how we thought before, during and after the war” (Clements). Through the archive, people can see not only how the Penguin brand has changed, through its covers and its logo, but they can see how history has changed as well (Clements). Penguin Books is a brand that has changed alongside the nation, and seeing this brand then serves as a reminiscence of those changes. There are plans to put the entire Bristol Archive online so that everyone may have access, a further democratization. What is notable, then, about Penguin is the availability of its shared experience: anybody can become a lover of Penguin, regardless of whether or not they own a first edition book or a George Orwell mug.

Thus, a Penguin community has been created. By using such a simple and utilitarian design for their cover and making it so widespread and available, Penguin Books was able to create a cultural icon that could reach every corner of the population. The brand’s ease of access and ability to be reproduced allowed independent creators to bring the classic Penguin book back to the public eye, even when it was on the verge of being forgotten. Though Penguin has been continuously producing quality books for over half a century, the cultural idolization of Penguin came not from the company itself, but from the careful work of passionate people who admired the brand image. Thus, the reason for Penguin’s profound success: the company created books with the kind of care that book lovers expect, and readers responded with respect and admiration for the brand.

Therefore, while Allen Lane planned for Penguin to be the democratization of the paperback book, what has come about in modern society today is the democratization of the Penguin brand and image.

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APPENDIX: PENGUIN BOOKS IN LONDON SHOPS

Waterstones, Gower Street Features a huge Penguin book section featuring both the classic books as well as a bookshelf full of merchandise.

Waterstones, Tottenham Court Road A brand new shop with a prominent Penguin products display directly next to the cafe, featuring canvas bags and mugs

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Marchpane Children’s Books, Cecil Court near Charing Cross Road A box of original Penguin paperbacks on sale for three pounds each

Foyle’s, Charing Cross Road A collectors edition celebrating the 80th anniversary of Penguin Books

The Black Gull Bookshop and Binder, Camden Lock Classic Penguin novels grouped together, in the crime and fiction sections, respectively

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Baines, Phil. Penguin By Design. London: Penguin, 2005. Print.

Clements, Toby. “History of Penguin Archive.” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

Cummins, Anthony. “Penguin Flogs It (and Sells Some Books).” The Guardian. 4 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

Davis, Tony. “Penguin Designs Should Be Seen beyond the Bookshelf.” The Guardian. 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Dec. 2015 “Penguin Books.” Impossible Things Ltd. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

Rawsthorn, Alice. “Cover Versions.” The Guardian 28 Oct. 2006. Web. Sagar, Julia. “The Tale behind the Penguin Logo.” Creative Bloq. 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

Stott, Michael. “Penguin-inspired Art Set to Make Worldwide Splash.” Financial Times. 7 Sept. 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

“The Story of ‘penguinfirsteditions.com’” Penguin First Editions. 2014. Web. 20 Dec. 2015.

Tschichold, Jan. “Something About Book Design (1932).” Design Issues 9.2 (1993): 77-79. JSTOR. Web.

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