Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Dell 274 (1949)

Title : The Body Missed the Boat
Author : Jack Iams
Cover art : William Strohmer
  [New York, Dell, 1949. No. 274. Back cover : map of Hillary Judd’s house/scene of murder, in M’Pile, a residential section of Brazzaville, French Equatorial Africa. Inset : map of Africa]. 
style ***
substance **
collectibility *

I’m not too familiar with William Strohmer, but his front cover art for Dell 274 is a fine example of Dell’s quasi-deco aesthetic in the 1940s -- a highly stylized tableau depicts a woman in front of a casket gazing at a ship on the distant horizon. The bold colors, omnipresent Dell keyhole, and woman’s peek-a-boo see-through dress combine to create an altogether felicitous design.

1 comment:

  1. Strohmer was the Art Director for Dell, based in Racine, Wisconsin

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