Paul Bacon (designer)
Encyclopedia
Paul Bacon is an American book and album cover designer and jazz musician. He is known for introducing the "Big Book Look" in book jacket design, and has designed about 6,500 jackets and more than 200 jazz record covers.
, New York. Bacon's family lived in many places in the New York City area while he was growing up due to economic hardships caused by the Great Depression. The family settled in Newark, New Jersey
in 1939, where Bacon graduated from Newark Arts High School
in 1940.
Bacon's introduction to jazz was through the radio. "My brother and I realized we were jazz fans after hearing Benny Goodman on the Camel Caravan show in 1935," Bacon said. In Newark they were members of a "hot club," a group of teens who listened to and talked about jazz.
After high school, Bacon took a design job with Scheck Advertising, a small ad agency in Newark. He was drafted in 1943 and joined the Marine Corps. With the Marines he was sent to Guadalcanal, Guam, and China, never seeing any action.
He was discharged in 1946 and returned to Union Beach, New Jersey
, where his family had moved. Shortly afterward he moved to New York City. He later married his roommate's cousin, Maxine Shirey, a dancer in Charles Weidman
's house company for the City Center Opera in New York.
's Jazz before he was drafted into the Marines. After the war he worked for Hal Zamboni at his design studio, Zamboni Associates, in Manhattan, for about nine years. In addition to this $30 a week work, Bacon designed 10" album covers for Alfred Lion
and Frank Wolff
's label, Blue Note Records
, and wrote reviews for The Record Changer, a magazine edited by Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews
.
Bacon became the chief designer for Grauer and Keepnews's label, Riverside Records
, in its early and middle years. At the same time he designed covers for the pair's reissues for RCA's new label, "X". It was also during this time – the late 40's and early 50's – in which Bacon got his start in book design.
In 1950, Bacon was asked by Bill Westley, a friend's father, to provide illustrations for his book, Chimp on My Shoulder. The art director for E. P. Dutton
, the book's publisher, was pleased enough to ask Bacon to provide a dust jacket as well. The book was not anything major, but it gave Bacon his start.
In the early 1950s, Bacon was commissioned by Tom Bevans, the art director of Simon & Schuster
, to design a number of titles. Jobs from other houses came in as well, and Bacon opened his own studio in 1955. He continued to have a series of studios with his name on the door for over 50 years.
His first big hit came in 1956 with Compulsion, a novel by Meyer Levin
. This cover also marked the inception of the "Big Book Look" that Bacon became known for. This look features a large, bold title, a prominent author's name, and a small conceptual image. Instances of this "look" include Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
, Visions of Cody
by Jack Kerouac
, and Bullet Park
by John Cheever
, along with countless others.
Throughout his career, Bacon was a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA
), the Society of Illustrators
, and the president of Graphic Artists for Self Preservation (G.A.S.P.), which was soon absorbed into the Graphic Artists Guild
. He also had a four-year stint of teaching at the School of Visual Arts
for four years.
Bacon designed covers for about 50 years, from his start in the early '50s to the early 2000s. Throughout his career he used hand-drawn letters and illustrations. In recent years, while Bacon is officially retired from creating book jackets, he continues to work on special projects for the small publishing firm McPherson & Co., and has returned to designing jazz albums.
Though Bacon had his signature style, he was by no means tied to it. His work was individualized, and he is noted to have "subordinated ego to function" in following what the book wanted. He did not, however, like to work directly with authors, so that the author would not influence the cover design.
"When you look at Bacon's jackets em masse, you realize that you're looking at a history of late-20th century commercial book cover design," said Stephen Heller in his article on Bacon for Print
magazine in 2002.
in the late '40s at the urging of Bill Grauer. Bacon joined The Hot Club of Riverside Drive - Grauer (comb), Conrad Janis
(trombone), Bob Greene (piano), Bob Thompson (washboard), Bob Sann (banjo), Bob Lee (jug), and Orrin Keepnews (comb) - in Friday night jams. Bacon also played with The Washboard Live and The Hot Damn Jug Band of New York, bands that performed in an around New York City. In 1976 he played at Carnegie Hall with Bob Greene's "World of Jelly Roll Morton" show.
Starting in 1980, Bacon performed on Tuesday nights for twenty two years as a vocalist and on the comb with the New Orleans-style jazz band, "Stanly's Washboard Kings," at the Cajun, a New Orleans-style restaurant in New York City. He has performed in Japan, Australia, New England, and on many jazz cruises, booked by Hank O'Neil and Shelley Shier
's agency, HOSS. He has put out two albums, "Swing Me A Song" (1996) and "Things Are Looking Up" (2002), both from Jazzology.
Personal life
Paul Bacon was born December 25, 1923, in OssiningOssining (town), New York
Ossining is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 37,674 at the 2010 census. It contains two villages, the Village of Ossining and part of Briarcliff Manor, the rest of which is located in the Town of Mount Pleasant....
, New York. Bacon's family lived in many places in the New York City area while he was growing up due to economic hardships caused by the Great Depression. The family settled in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in 1939, where Bacon graduated from Newark Arts High School
Newark Arts High School
Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in grades 9 through 12 in Newark, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. In 2010, the 6th graders of William Brown Academy is housed there as its venue is currently being built...
in 1940.
Bacon's introduction to jazz was through the radio. "My brother and I realized we were jazz fans after hearing Benny Goodman on the Camel Caravan show in 1935," Bacon said. In Newark they were members of a "hot club," a group of teens who listened to and talked about jazz.
After high school, Bacon took a design job with Scheck Advertising, a small ad agency in Newark. He was drafted in 1943 and joined the Marine Corps. With the Marines he was sent to Guadalcanal, Guam, and China, never seeing any action.
He was discharged in 1946 and returned to Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Beach is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,245....
, where his family had moved. Shortly afterward he moved to New York City. He later married his roommate's cousin, Maxine Shirey, a dancer in Charles Weidman
Charles Weidman
Charles Weidman is a renowned choreographer, modern dancer and teacher. He is well known as one of the pioneers of Modern Dance in America. He wanted to break free from the traditional movements of dance forms popular at the time to create a uniquely American style of movement...
's house company for the City Center Opera in New York.
Design career
Bacon's design career got its start with drawings for small magazines such as The Newark Hot Club's Jazz Notes and Bob ThieleBob Thiele
Bob Thiele was an American record producer who worked on countless classic jazz albums and record labels.-Biography:...
's Jazz before he was drafted into the Marines. After the war he worked for Hal Zamboni at his design studio, Zamboni Associates, in Manhattan, for about nine years. In addition to this $30 a week work, Bacon designed 10" album covers for Alfred Lion
Alfred Lion
Alfred Lion was a Jewish German-born American record executive who co-founded Blue Note Records in 1939 Blue Note recorded many of the biggest names in jazz throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.-Biography:...
and Frank Wolff
Frank Wolff
Frank Wolff may refer to:*Frank Wolff , American actor who appeared in five Roger Corman productions and nearly fifty European-made films-Fictional characters:...
's label, Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
, and wrote reviews for The Record Changer, a magazine edited by Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews
Orrin Keepnews
Orrin Keepnews is an American writer and jazz record producer. In June 2010, he received a lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.- Career :...
.
Bacon became the chief designer for Grauer and Keepnews's label, Riverside Records
Riverside Records
Riverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
, in its early and middle years. At the same time he designed covers for the pair's reissues for RCA's new label, "X". It was also during this time – the late 40's and early 50's – in which Bacon got his start in book design.
In 1950, Bacon was asked by Bill Westley, a friend's father, to provide illustrations for his book, Chimp on My Shoulder. The art director for E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. In 1986, the company was acquired by Penguin Group and split into two imprints: Dutton Penguin and Dutton Children's Books.-History:Edward Payson Dutton founded...
, the book's publisher, was pleased enough to ask Bacon to provide a dust jacket as well. The book was not anything major, but it gave Bacon his start.
In the early 1950s, Bacon was commissioned by Tom Bevans, the art director of Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
, to design a number of titles. Jobs from other houses came in as well, and Bacon opened his own studio in 1955. He continued to have a series of studios with his name on the door for over 50 years.
His first big hit came in 1956 with Compulsion, a novel by Meyer Levin
Meyer Levin
Meyer Levin was a Jewish-American novelist, known for works on the Leopold and Loeb case and the Anne Frank case.-Leopold and Loeb case:...
. This cover also marked the inception of the "Big Book Look" that Bacon became known for. This look features a large, bold title, a prominent author's name, and a small conceptual image. Instances of this "look" include Catch-22
Catch-22
Catch-22 is a satirical, historical novel by the American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953, and the novel was first published in 1961. It is set during World War II in 1943 and is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century...
by Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller was a US satirical novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His best known work is Catch-22, a novel about US servicemen during World War II...
, Visions of Cody
Visions of Cody
Visions of Cody is an experimental novel by Jack Kerouac. It was written in 1951-1952, and though not published in its entirety until 1973, it had by then achieved an underground reputation...
by Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, and Bullet Park
Bullet Park
Bullet Park is a 1969 novel by American Novelist John Cheever about an earnest yet pensive father Eliot Nailles and his troubled son Tony, and their predestined fate with a psychotic man Hammer, who moves to Bullet Park to sacrifice one of them...
by John Cheever
John Cheever
John William Cheever was an American novelist and short story writer. He is sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs." His fiction is mostly set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Westchester suburbs, old New England villages based on various South Shore towns around Quincy,...
, along with countless others.
Throughout his career, Bacon was a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA
Aiga
‘Aiga is a word in the Samoan language which means 'family.' The aiga is the family unit of Samoan society and differs from the Western sense in that it consists more than just a mother, father and children. The Samoan family, also referred to as an 'extended family' is based on the culture's...
), the Society of Illustrators
Society of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. Founded in 1901, the mission of the Society is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, as well as its history...
, and the president of Graphic Artists for Self Preservation (G.A.S.P.), which was soon absorbed into the Graphic Artists Guild
Graphic Artists Guild
The Graphic Artists Guild is a guild of graphic designers, illustrators, and photographers and is organized into seven chapters around the United States.-History:In the mid-1960s most automobile advertising contained illustrations, not photographs...
. He also had a four-year stint of teaching at the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
for four years.
Bacon designed covers for about 50 years, from his start in the early '50s to the early 2000s. Throughout his career he used hand-drawn letters and illustrations. In recent years, while Bacon is officially retired from creating book jackets, he continues to work on special projects for the small publishing firm McPherson & Co., and has returned to designing jazz albums.
Design style
In jacket design, Bacon found a talent for "finding something that would be a synthesis graphically of what the story was about." He would work for about three weeks on a book – the first two reading and making a sketch, and the third to finalize the design once it was approved. He didn't draw thumbnails or multiple sketches, he simply provided one image of his idea. However, he was accommodating, and did multiple versions of jackets if the publisher was not pleased. Bacon completed as many as eleven versions of the cover for Catch-22 before a design was agreed upon.Though Bacon had his signature style, he was by no means tied to it. His work was individualized, and he is noted to have "subordinated ego to function" in following what the book wanted. He did not, however, like to work directly with authors, so that the author would not influence the cover design.
"When you look at Bacon's jackets em masse, you realize that you're looking at a history of late-20th century commercial book cover design," said Stephen Heller in his article on Bacon for Print
Print (magazine)
The publication, Print, A Quarterly Journal of the Graphic Arts, was a limited edition quarterly periodical begun in 1940 and continued under different names up to the present day as Print, a bimonthly American magazine about visual culture and design.In its current format, Print documents and...
magazine in 2002.
Musicianship
Bacon's passion for jazz did not leave off at listening, reviewing, and designing sleeves. He himself took up playing the combComb
A comb is a toothed device used in hair care for straightening and cleaning hair or other fibres. Combs are among the oldest tools found by archaeologists...
in the late '40s at the urging of Bill Grauer. Bacon joined The Hot Club of Riverside Drive - Grauer (comb), Conrad Janis
Conrad Janis
Conrad Janis is an American jazz musician and also a theatre, film, and television actor. In the fall of 1953, he played eldest son Edward in the Ezio Pinza situation comedy Bonino on NBC...
(trombone), Bob Greene (piano), Bob Thompson (washboard), Bob Sann (banjo), Bob Lee (jug), and Orrin Keepnews (comb) - in Friday night jams. Bacon also played with The Washboard Live and The Hot Damn Jug Band of New York, bands that performed in an around New York City. In 1976 he played at Carnegie Hall with Bob Greene's "World of Jelly Roll Morton" show.
Starting in 1980, Bacon performed on Tuesday nights for twenty two years as a vocalist and on the comb with the New Orleans-style jazz band, "Stanly's Washboard Kings," at the Cajun, a New Orleans-style restaurant in New York City. He has performed in Japan, Australia, New England, and on many jazz cruises, booked by Hank O'Neil and Shelley Shier
Shelley M. Shier
Shelley M. Shier is a Canadian-American entrepreneur and theatrical producer.- Youth :Her mother, Rosaline Cutler Shier Sonshine, is a socially active housewife from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her father, Harry Shier was a noted Canadian industrialist and investor with strong ties to the...
's agency, HOSS. He has put out two albums, "Swing Me A Song" (1996) and "Things Are Looking Up" (2002), both from Jazzology.
Notable book jackets
- Compulsion by Meyer LevinMeyer LevinMeyer Levin was a Jewish-American novelist, known for works on the Leopold and Loeb case and the Anne Frank case.-Leopold and Loeb case:...
, Simon and Schuster (1956) - RagtimeRagtime (novel)Ragtime is a 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow. This work of historical fiction is primarily set in the New York City area from about 1900 until the United States entry into World War I in 1917...
by E. L. DoctorowE. L. DoctorowEdgar Lawrence Doctorow is an American author.- Biography :Edgar Lawrence Doctorow was born in the Bronx, New York City, the son of second-generation Americans of Russian Jewish descent...
, Random House, Inc. (1974, 1975) - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (novel)One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel written by Ken Kesey. Set in an Oregon asylum, the narrative serves as a study of the institutional process and the human mind, as well as a critique of Behaviorism and a celebration of humanistic principles. Written in 1959, the novel was adapted into a...
by Ken KeseyKen KeseyKenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
, Viking Penguin (1962, 1990) - Catch-22Catch-22Catch-22 is a satirical, historical novel by the American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953, and the novel was first published in 1961. It is set during World War II in 1943 and is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century...
by Joseph HellerJoseph HellerJoseph Heller was a US satirical novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His best known work is Catch-22, a novel about US servicemen during World War II...
, Simon and Schuster (1961) - Portnoy's ComplaintPortnoy's ComplaintPortnoy's Complaint is the American novel that turned its author Philip Roth into a major celebrity, sparking a storm of controversy over its explicit and candid treatment of sexuality, including detailed depictions of masturbation using various props including a piece of liver...
by Philip RothPhilip RothPhilip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
, Random House (1969) - ShōgunShogun (novel)Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide...
by James ClavellJames ClavellJames Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
, Atheneum (1975) - The Power BrokerThe Power BrokerThe Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1974 biography of Robert Moses, "New York City's Master Builder", by Robert Caro...
by Robert A. CaroRobert CaroRobert Allan Caro is an American journalist and author known for his celebrated biographies of United States political figures Robert Moses and Lyndon B. Johnson...
, Alfred A. Knopf (1974) - The Confessions of Nat TurnerThe Confessions of Nat Turner (1967)The Confessions of Nat Turner is a 1967 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by U.S. writer William Styron. Presented as a first-person narrative by historical figure Nat Turner, the novel concerns the slave revolt in Virginia in 1831...
by William StyronWilliam StyronWilliam Clark Styron, Jr. was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work.For much of his career, Styron was best known for his novels, which included...
, Random House (1966, 1967) - Rosemary's BabyRosemary's BabyRosemary's Baby is a 1967 best-selling horror novel by Ira Levin, his second published book. Major elements of the story were inspired by the publicity surrounding the Church of Satan of Anton LaVey which had been founded in 1966.-Plot summary:...
by Ira LevinIra LevinIra Levin was an American author, dramatist and songwriter.-Professional life:Levin attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa...
, Random House (1967) - Slaughterhouse-FiveSlaughterhouse-FiveSlaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a satirical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about World War II experiences and journeys through time of a soldier called Billy Pilgrim...
by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.Kurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
, Dell Pub. Co. (1968)
Notable album covers
- Thelonious Monk: The Genius of Modern Music: Blue Note (1947)
- The Amazing Bud PowellThe Amazing Bud PowellThe Amazing Bud Powell, also called The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1, is a 1951 album by jazz pianist Bud Powell. It is part of a loosely connected series with the 1953 companion The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 2 and the 1957 Bud! The Amazing Bud Powell , all released on Blue Note. The album details two...
: Blue Note (1951) - Fats Navarro: Memorial Album: Blue Note (1947)
- James Moody and His Modernists: Blue Note (1948)
- Milt Jackson: Wizard of the VibesWizard of the VibesWizard of the Vibes is a Blue Note Records compilation of performances by jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson. The sessions were the work of The Thelonious Monk Quintet and The Modern Jazz Quartet plus Lou Donaldson...
: Blue Note (1952)
Discography
- Swing Me A Song: Jazzology (1996)
- Things Are Looking Up: Jazzology (2002)
Essays
- "The High Priest of Be-bop." In The Thelonious Monk Reader, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 56-62.