January—A year of good reading ahead, a 20x200 Vintage Edition
10"x8" ($35) | 14"x11" ($75) | 20"x16" ($260)
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New year, new “best of” book recs to dig into. Go ahead and make an overly ambitious reading list for 2020—with a few months of winter on the horizon, you might get a head start. Today’s new Vintage Edition has the same take on the chilly season, ie) it’s prime time to snuggle up with a good book or twelve. January—A year of good reading ahead sums up that message in a bold, bucolic design that puts a sled-borne stack of books front and center.
Avid readers know a library trip isn’t complete unless you leave with way more than you planned. A sled full sounds about right, and seasonally appropriate too! Bring home a big enough haul and you won’t have to leave your house ‘til the snow melts in spring. Stay in your PJs and let this picturesque print transport you—the blue sky and bright snowy hills in January—A year of good reading ahead are probably a more pastoral view than your local environs. (If not, please invite us over.) A bundled figure tows a tome-laden sled toward the coziest of cottages atop a hill. Saturated swaths of color pop out of the stylized scene, which swaps fussy details for a precisely limited color palette and graphic shapes—a vaguely post-Bahausian vibe, accompanied by sharp, enthusiastic, all-caps lettering. The overall effect is charming, idyllic, and optimistic. The beginning of the year can be overwhelming, even daunting, rife with anxieties and unknowns, but this print strikes a positive chord. January isn’t so scary with stories, books and libraries standing by.
We love libraries—for all the obvious bibliophilic, democratic reasons, and also because they’re an amazing source for vintage art files. (Read more about our vintage curatorial process here!) This particular library-sourced image was created in 1941 on behalf of the Federal Art Project (FAP), a subset of the Depression-era-initiated Works Progress Administration (WPA). It represents one of the over 30,000 poster designs created by artists working under the FAP, posters meant to promote the public good, from healthy eating habits to preserving the national parks. January—A year of good reading ahead kicked off a special series of monthly posters produced for the state of Illinois as an effort to encourage reading and champion the community’s libraries.
Whether you’re a rapacious reader, a library lover, a vintage typography fan, or simply someone who feels 100% seen by this subtle reference to holing up indoors all season, there are almost as many reasons to love this edition as there are must-reads on our agenda. Plus, it’s a pertinent reminder: there’s a year of good reading ahead over here, and more amazing art in our 2020 pipeline.
With art for everyone,
Team 20x200
