wiedler.ch

book (design) story #218

gabriele morello:
petrolio e sud

etas editrice, milano, 1959
printer: enrico gualdoni, milano
size: ?? x ?? cm
designer: max huber

oil and the south – survey in ragusa is a book written by gabriele morello (www.gmorello.net). in 1953 oil fields were discovered in the sicilian town of ragusa. the book is a socio-ecenomic study on the effects of the oil industry in the rural south of italy (sponsored by gulf, the oil company).

the spectacular jacket design shows an influence of swiss style – no surprise since it is credited to max huber (1919-1992), the zurich-trained graphic designer who worked in italy.

the sans-serif typeface (lowercase for the title!) and the montage achived through overprinting monochrome photos in different colours are features often seen in swiss new new typography (e.g. books 13, 36, 126). the olive-green colour of the text and oil pump jack is rather ironic since it is not about good old olive oil at all...

the contrast between traditional sicily and modern technology is also visualised in the book's photo sections: "poor" kids playing in ancient streets, ...

... a drilling rig next to old stone houses in ragusa, ... .

... and modern architecture promising a bright future.