Do you know who Alex Steinweiss and Album Cover Art ?

In 23, and the "godfather" of the album cover, Alex Steinweiss accepted a job to design the promotional material for Columbia Records. What is going to revolutionize the music industry, vinyl records specifically, when he invented the album cover photographer. There was a clear idea to some extent, but it was a great excitement to create a package graphics that will not only protect the record, but the publicity for the artist and the music contained in it (before it sold records in the packaging clearly does not print).

 

"Documents were being relegated to the back of the shops that sell refrigerators and stoves. We had to go to the counter and ask the way he wants," he said, Steinweiss. "I need to shake up the industry, to do something like the art of the label European to draw attention the buyer. "

 

Sales of the album, and "shake up the industry," is exactly what Steinweiss. From its cover in 1939 with the first group of watches musical by Rodgers and Hart, and the leaders of Colombia has seen his share and is one of more than 800 percent. Shortly after the albums decorate the course in 78 minutes with blankets decorated and displayed in shop windows.

 

I was born this new medium, and the album became the norm and attracted established artists and inspired by new artists who enter the arena. Enabled it to record company to promote the artist and the visual image and identity with the music.

 

That was Alex Steinweiss? We will discuss in detail his life.

Steinweiss grew up in Brighton Beach area of ​​Brooklyn, and attended the School Abraham Lincoln High in 1930-1934 and that's where he began his professional graphic design. In a program taught by Leon Friend, Steinweiss and his colleagues, known as "Team Art", published by School of Design, posters, banners, and when he was seven, the Steinweiss work in the magazine PM. Won a scholarship to Parsons School of Art and graduated in 1937. His first job was assistant to Joseph Binder, a position which lasted nearly three years before receiving a call about 'a new job in the records of the newly formed Columbia. He designed to cover all of Colombia between 1939 and 1945, a period that has developed and perfected the art of graphic design the cover of the album. In the period between 1945 and about 1950, he still does not cover the design of Colombia, but it was not designed only. Also began "freelancing" and began designing covers for other record labels.

 

With an independent designer labels such as RCA, Decca, London, and Mount Everest, and considered the Steinweiss outstanding. With a unique blend illustrations attractive, and patterns of color and printing playful, created Steinweiss covers album musical greats such as Louis Armstrong, Bartok Bela, Count Basie, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Kate Smith and many others.

 

The album covers the famous, and he designed them as miniature posters with a distinct personality for each cover. Line signature, and "scribbles Steinweiss", first appeared in 1947 and about style and design the album cover is synomonous with the golden age of jazz, classical, popular and dominated music by RCA, Columbia, Decca, and scored Victor of companies in London.

 

In the 1950s, and added Steinweiss imaging plate has a design of the album. Used to strange colors, techniques, and furnishings, and lighting in accordance with the invention and many visual puns and reference points, only adds to his unique style of cover design, and make it an icon in the music industry. His own admission, Steinweiss claims that he has designed album covers of more than 2500.

 

Done at a later time, from 1960 to about 1973, has been working with Decca record companies in London. It was during this period that he developed graphics cut and collages. Retired in Sarasota, Florida circa 1974, and remains semi-active, having designed at least one cover of a book and CD covers several, as well as they are designed liquor bottles, posters, brochures and securities of the TV and Ancient Egypt Clothing .

 

Each one of us owe thanks to Alex Steinweiss and his contributions to the album and the music. Can you imagine any work of art that comes with a vinyl record? I can not, and it is a great thing Alex Steinweiss could not either.