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Classic Penguins

Publisher-inspired design

Nicky Hessenberg

From early childhood I have had an affection for Penguin Books passed on from my father, who insisted that a paperback carried in the pocket would always provide an entertaining way of passing time.

Penguin Books first appeared in 1935. They were a literary mixture, and the type of book was indicated by a coloured band on the jacket. The Penguin logo altered slightly every 10-15 years, sometimes looking to the left, sometimes to the right, either on a black background or a coloured one, surrounded by a white oval border. My idea was for each decade to be represented by a colour corresponding with the type of book published - blue was for biography, orange fiction, green crime-writing, red drama, cerise travel and adventure, yellow miscellaneous - starting with the original double Penguin. Each of the different 'tiles' would be approximately 6-8 inches wide (paperback size) and would hang around a central enlarged Penguin figure as it appears on today's books.

Each outline was drawn onto a hessian background, and suitable lightweight fabrics chosen. The imagery had to be kept simple because of the size, and several areas were difficult to work, even using a fine hook. Often the eyes appeared to slip down the Penguin's cheek, giving a wild and rakish look. But the most complicated were the webbed feet; they looked enormous and out of proportion with the body and I found myself pulling strips of fabric out repeatedly. I was not completely satisfied with the results in some, but had to compromise as the background fabric became dangerously frayed and stretched.

This article is from Embroidery, Volume 53 No.2, © Nicky Hessenberg.