Striking Images

by Monte Beauchamp (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2006

  $3.28

  From the 1920s to the 1950s, a ubiquitous advertising gimmick made its way into the purses, pockets and kitchen drawers of millions of Americans. The giveaway matchbook, from its humble origins as an entrepreneurial gamble, quickly caught on and became one of the most pervasive means ever found of putting promotional images into the hands of the public. Free, small, and disposable, matchbooks were not only a highly successful marketing tool for a wide variety of products; they were also the repositories of much anonymous design creativity. Self-contained mini fantasies of ocean travel, bathing beauties and tropical locales pervaded the imagery, as did hand-lettered typography, stylized illustration, and eye-catching color. This colorful celebration brings their art and history to life with all its pulp panache and visual zing.