Vintage stereo system test and demonstration records promise to answer these questions and more while their cover designers, unrestrained by the need to sell a specific artist or title, capture the pure magic of stereophonic sound.

Today I thought I would share a selection of Mid-Century era album covers. Cover by George Maas, c. 1952 This cover by Lance Stirling for...

Early modern classical LP covers. Archived by Jive Time Records.

Alex Steinweiss (1917 - 2011) played a seminal role in record cover design as the art director for Columbia Records as well as other record companies, London, Decca and A & R records. He revolutionised the way records were packaged and marketed. His genre-defining work in the visual expression of music transformed both the design and the music industries. For full biographical notes on Alex Steinweiss see part 1, and for earlier works, see parts 1-4 also. This is part 5 of a 6-part post on…

BARTOK: Violin Concerto Dover Records / design geométrico

The seemingly infinite number of vintage record jackets that convey their message with simple shapes like the dot never cease to amaze and amuse us. Project Thirty-Three is a shrine to these dots along with their less jovial but equally effective cousins, squares, rectangles and triangles, and the designers that make them come to life. Other galleries include arrows, abstract shapes, typography-only and Command Records. Check back soon as we’ll be adding covers regularly.

Decca Record cover by Erik Nitsche

Early modern classical LP covers. Archived by Jive Time Records.

Early modern classical LP covers. Archived by Jive Time Records.

Long before the digital era and the design disciplines that emerged with it, there was a unique canvas, reaching a visual audience of millions; every designer dreamed...

Long before the digital era and the design disciplines that emerged with it, there was a unique canvas, reaching a visual audience of millions; every designer dreamed...

semi-niche record blog curated by kate wagner

semi-niche record blog curated by kate wagner