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Penguin Book Covers - Prints On Canvas

Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its inexpensive paperback books sold through shops such as Woolworths and other high street stores for just sixpence bringing high-quality paperback fiction and non-fiction within easy reach of the man on the street. Penguin's huge success demonstrated that large audiences existed for serious books. From the outset, the design was essential to the success of the Penguin book brand. Avoiding the illustrated gaudiness of other paperback publishers, Penguin opted for the simple appearance comprising of three horizontal bands. The upper and lower bands were colour-coded according to which series the title belonged to - orange and white for general fiction, green and white for crime fiction, cerise and white for travel and adventure, dark blue and white for biographies, yellow and white for miscellaneous, red and white for drama; and the rarer purple and white for essays and grey and white for world affairs.In the central white panel, the author and title were printed in Gill Sans and in the upper band, the words 'Penguin Books'. The initial design was created by Edward Young, who was then just a 21 year old office junior, who also drew the first version of the now-iconic Penguin logo.

 

Since the creation of the first Penguin paperbacks in 1935, the colour-coded jackets have become a cherished part of British culture and design history. Here you will find classic prints on canvas featuring your favourite Penguin book titles including 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' by DH Laurence, 'Country Life' by HE Bates, 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, 'The Great Gatsby' by Fitzgerald, 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austin, 'Brighton Rock' by Graham Greene, 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte, 'On the Road' by Jack Karouac, 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' by Ken Kesy and 'Nineteen Eighty Four' by George Orwell. 

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