Shelf Space: Modern Package Design 1945-1965

by Jerry Jankowski

The War is over, the economy's booming, and the supermarket shelves are groaning under the weight of thousands of items. New products and packaging—aerosol sprays, TV dinners, canned beer, and molded plastics—abound, and the package designer's task has never been more challenging, or more fun. Designers and pop culture buffs alike will revel in this outstanding portfolio of package design from the mid-1940s to mid-1960s, a veritable social history of postwar consumer culture. In more than 150 color photos, author Jerry Jankowski presents favorite pieces of the period -- a surrealist perfume bottle by Salvador Dali, a Bing Crosby ice cream carton, "Astronaut: The New Game of Outer Space" (for boys), "Let's Do Dishes" (for girls) -- chosen for their strong graphics, classic motifs, social commentary, or quirky humor. Readers will recognize familiar classics like the boldly designed package for Brillo soap pads and an early incarnation of the Frisbee. All are cultural time capsules from a rich era of design, reflecting an image of a nation caught somewhere between the Old West and the Space Age.

Genres: Design

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Scott Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heavily illustrated brief history of package designs from the '20s & '30s. The development of lithography was influenced by requirements of modern consumer goods packaging and advertising. (Fascinating!) The square-bottomed paper bag was invented in 1870 (Really?) and, except for changing the color of the pack from green to white in 1940, Lucky Strike cigarettes has not changed its package design since 1917 (Wow!). Yeah I know, mega-dull, but I really love this stuff.

[Angela Mcghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the retro packaging and the book was filled with tidbits of information about the era and how the pop art style of advertising came to be

[Bruce Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on packaging design. A light read that provides a lot of useful information.