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Made in France
Made in France celebrates the innovative and experimental design, sophisticated style, and rich artistry of French popular culture. Reed Darmon has created a beautiful and inspiring collection of vintage French design from the past century. The hundreds of images packed into this delightfully compact book include movie, caf, and travel posters, book and magazine covers, advertisements, music albums, household product packaging, fashion items, toys, and other colorful and irresistible ephemera. A stylish object and graphic essay in one, Made in France is an extraordinary glimpse into the heart of French popular culture. Trs chic!
- GenresFrance
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 25, 2021
Well organised and presented, this charming little book of French graphic design over the last hundred years or so, features images of products and advertising, which taken as a whole provides a unique insight into French popular culture.
There are magazine covers, posters and advertising for domestic products, the arts, live entertainment, movies, travel and of course, food and perfume. There are stamps, record labels and packaging. They could have been organised thematically but compiler Reed Darmon has chosen a loose chronological approach, but with intelligent groupings of products and services so we get a sense of how soap was presented at a particular time for example, or the cinema, or travel. He acknowledges that most of his material comes for the thirties, which is fair enough, as this was a golden time for design, prior to photography taking over from illustration. Darmon provides pithy captions for the images and credits designer where he can.
It is remarkable how seriously the French treat style, even for the most prosaic of items, for example, a tin of waterproof Penguin brand cream for shoes (p166). The designs are imaginative and colourful. Famous artists are represented, including Rene Magritte (p132) and Jean Dubuffet (p211). Henri Matisse and Georges Braque provide Verve covers from the late thirties (p208).
Given my interest in ocean liners from the golden age I was pleased to see an understated 1932 French Line passenger list from Le Champlain plus luggage tags (p152).
But my favourite image is a flyer showing a red herring (I kid you not) jumping out of a pastel sea on the coast at Fecamp, produced by the Committee for the Promotion of the Consumption of Herring from Fecamp. On the north coast of France, Fecamp has been trading herring for a thousand years. (p122)
Notably, most of the items shown come from Reed Darwon’s own collection. Must have a big house.
There are magazine covers, posters and advertising for domestic products, the arts, live entertainment, movies, travel and of course, food and perfume. There are stamps, record labels and packaging. They could have been organised thematically but compiler Reed Darmon has chosen a loose chronological approach, but with intelligent groupings of products and services so we get a sense of how soap was presented at a particular time for example, or the cinema, or travel. He acknowledges that most of his material comes for the thirties, which is fair enough, as this was a golden time for design, prior to photography taking over from illustration. Darmon provides pithy captions for the images and credits designer where he can.
It is remarkable how seriously the French treat style, even for the most prosaic of items, for example, a tin of waterproof Penguin brand cream for shoes (p166). The designs are imaginative and colourful. Famous artists are represented, including Rene Magritte (p132) and Jean Dubuffet (p211). Henri Matisse and Georges Braque provide Verve covers from the late thirties (p208).
Given my interest in ocean liners from the golden age I was pleased to see an understated 1932 French Line passenger list from Le Champlain plus luggage tags (p152).
But my favourite image is a flyer showing a red herring (I kid you not) jumping out of a pastel sea on the coast at Fecamp, produced by the Committee for the Promotion of the Consumption of Herring from Fecamp. On the north coast of France, Fecamp has been trading herring for a thousand years. (p122)
Notably, most of the items shown come from Reed Darwon’s own collection. Must have a big house.
May 4, 2024
Pretty cool
February 14, 2009
Know one can do 'modern' better than the French who make "moderne.' This little book is jammed packed with graphic visuals from everything from products to record covers to movie covers. Ultra-chic in many ways, as well a symbol of paradise so far away yet so near.
October 1, 2013
Such a beautiful little book with stunning images, the French maybe a bunch of cheese eating surrender monkeys (I kid I kid) but they have exquisite taste.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews