Wilder and Eames – Did you know that Charles and Ray Eames gave their first ever iconic lounge chair and ottoman to their friend Billy Wilder? They later designed the Soft Pad Chaise especially for his afternoon naps. Just one of many things learnt from reading Theo Inglis’ excellent new book, Mid-Century Modern Graphic Design.
Lily Snowden-Fine – Fantastic illustration, art and objects by Snowden-Fine, better known for a previous life of jumping up and down in muddy puddles as the original voice of Peppa Pig. I particularly like the animated portrait of Saul Steinberg.
Images in transition – Using a collection of images from World War II, this new book toys with the history of the ahead-of-its-time wirephoto, questioning our reliance on photographs as records of hard evidence.
Dictionary love – Austin Kleon on the joy of a proper big printed dictionary. Completely with him there. Too long I’ve relied on right-clicks and wiggly underlines, I’d forgotten the pleasure of holding all of the words in the my hands. Convenience is great and everything, but there’s a difference between exploring language and merely having it corrected.
The Gentlewoman – You want inspiration? You want inspiration? The Gentlewoman’s library of profiles from their back issues, featuring the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Yoko Ono, Björk, Beyoncé and Angela flipping Lansbury, should keep you busy for a good while.
Ribbon Map of the Father of Waters– Is that an 11-foot spooled map of the Mississippi River from the 1860s in your pocket or are you just glad to oh right it is an 11-foot spooled map of the Mississippi River from the 1860s okay sorry about that.
Jon Gray – Talking with It’s Nice That about designing book covers for Zadie Smith, Sally Rooney and other literary giants. Jon’s been a huge influence for years now – the boy needs a monograph to his name at once.
BuyFontsSaveLives – A gorgeous collection of typefaces raising money to support Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support. Whatever your politics, Heseltine is particularly nice.
Writing with borrowed words – An essay by Judith Kerr, first published in 1975, explaining the lasting impact of her multi-lingual childhood on her relationship with language.
Manifestos – From first things first to auto-destructive art, Reading Design’s collection of design manifestos is well worth a delve. Imagine having the chutzpah to put one of these out into the universe.
Letterboxd – My thoughts on recent watchings, including Suspiria, Glass and Endgame. Mostly quite critical – something even manages half a star – so I’m either becoming incredibly discerning with old age or just a bit grumpy.