bad banana blog

Indian Matchbox Art

I've always been a sucker for matchbox art. So small. So ephemeral. So, um, odd when taken out of context and examined as a work of art. Be sure to check out the entire collection of Indian matchbox labels over at Agence Eureka.

Via Martin Klasch.

Sanborn Map Typography

Established in 1867, the D.A. Sanborn National Insurance Diagram Bureau compiled and published city maps for the fire insurance industry for more than a hundred years. The attention to detail coming out of that Manhattan office went far beyond city blocks and plots of land, however. Take a close look at the typography and overall design aesthetic of these amazing title pages. Many more examples here. Absolutely beautiful.

Via BibliOdyssey.

Vintage Godzilla Posters from Poland

Love these Godzilla movie posters from Poland. Years from top to bottom: 1957, 1971, 1977, and 1974. For more examples, click here.

Via Monster Brains.

Vintage NFL Letterhead

From one of my favorite blogs, Uni Watch. If you obsess over the finer details of athletics aesthetics, be sure to check it out.

Modernist Textiles

Fantastic 1950s textile patterns from Kathy Kavan's blog, Another Design Blog. Click through for more examples.

Via Martin Klasch.

The End of Westerns

A collection of end title stills from Western films throughout the years. Just a very tiny taste of the design goodness over at the Movie Title Stills Collection. Browse hundreds of title frames by decade, or go to the special collection of Film Noir and Westerns. In many cases, you can see both the beginning title and the end title frames. Fantastic.

Via BB-Blog.

Letterheady

 

Browse through more designs at Letterheady, a blog featuring letterhead from the famous and infamous over the years. Good stuff.

Via Quipsologies.

19th-Century Board Games

A collection of board games from the 1800s. For many more, including board games going all the way back to the 1500s, head on over to this wonderful article. One of my favorite posts on one of my all-time favorite blogs.

Via BibliOdyssey.

Microbe Killer

William Radam was one of the most notorious 19th century snake oil salesmen in America. This distinctive logo, as well as his ambitious tagline "Cures All Diseases," makes his Microbe Killer tonic bottles a favorite of collectors today.

Via Morbid Anatomy.

Matchbox Art

Wonderful matchbox labels from around the world, some going back to the 1920s. Be sure to check out the full set on Flickr.