Ronald Clyne
Encyclopedia
Ronald Clyne was an American
freelance designer
and graphic artist best known for creating over 500 covers for Folkways Records
during the more than three-decade lifetime of his independent company from 1948–1986.
of Fantastic Adventures
and Amazing Stories
. It was published in the November 1941 issue of Fantastic Adventures. This led him to doing cover art for several fanzines of the era, such as Bob Tucker’s Le Zombie
, and Al Ashley’s Nova. A few years later, he would do work for Fan Slants, Famous Fantastic Mysteries
and Fanvariety and a great number of other fantasy and horror books and magazines - prominent amongst them being “The Arkham Sampler
”. Clyne designed a number book jackets for August Derleth's Arkham House during the first two decades of that publisher's history.
felt that the cover designs should marry with the recorded sound, and they differed from those of other commercial record labels. They use only two-colour printing
on matt paper glued over a thick matt black cardboard sleeve - always leaving a thin black line around the cover’s edge. Artists that contributed to the overall style of Folkways records were Irwin Rosenhouse, David Stone Martin
and Craig Mierop. However Clyne’s singular use of typography
, layout
and image
was to be most often used and he was inspired by portrait photos given to him by Asch, and images that he would source during regular visits to the New York Public Library
and National Archive.
exhibition
of Clyne's work was mounted and curated by John Nixon
, Stephen Bram and Warren Taylor and was first shown at The Narrows
in Melbourne
, Australia
. Featured works included a spoken word
record by John Cage
with music by David Tudor
; Indian Music of Mexico, played in traditional communities and recorded by Henrietta Urchenko; The Real Boogie Woogie by Memphis Slim
and Folk Songs for Young People by Pete Seeger
.
and Melanesian Art from New Guinea
and Vanuatu
.
’s survey of Clyne's life and career was published in Earl Kemp
's ezine, e.I (December 2008)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
freelance designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
and graphic artist best known for creating over 500 covers for Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
during the more than three-decade lifetime of his independent company from 1948–1986.
Early career
After beginning to draw at the age of 8, Clyne sold his first drawing at the age of 15 to Ray PalmerRaymond A. Palmer
Raymond Arthur Palmer was the influential editor of Amazing Stories from 1938 through 1949, when he left publisher Ziff-Davis to publish and edit Fate Magazine, and eventually many other magazines and books through his own publishing houses, including Amherst Press and Palmer Publications...
of Fantastic Adventures
Fantastic Adventures
Fantastic Adventures was an American pulp science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1953 by Ziff-Davis. It was initially edited by Ray Palmer, who was also the editor of Amazing Stories, Ziff-Davis's other science fiction title. The first nine issues were in bedsheet format, but in June 1940...
and Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
. It was published in the November 1941 issue of Fantastic Adventures. This led him to doing cover art for several fanzines of the era, such as Bob Tucker’s Le Zombie
Le Zombie
Le Zombie was an intermittent science fiction fanzine, of which 72 issues were published by science fiction fan and author Bob Tucker from December of 1938 to August of 2001. The first issue was a single, crudely mimeographed sheet; the last printed issue was published in December 1975 by...
, and Al Ashley’s Nova. A few years later, he would do work for Fan Slants, Famous Fantastic Mysteries
Famous Fantastic Mysteries
Famous Fantastic Mysteries was a fantasy fiction magazine offering reprints of science-fiction and fantasy classics from earlier decades. It ran from 1939 to 1953 for a total of 81 issues....
and Fanvariety and a great number of other fantasy and horror books and magazines - prominent amongst them being “The Arkham Sampler
The Arkham Sampler
The Arkham Sampler was an American fantasy and horror fiction magazine first published in Winter 1948. The magazine, edited by August Derleth, was the first of two magazines published by Arkham House. The cover design was prepared by Ronald Clyne and was printed in alternating colors for the eight...
”. Clyne designed a number book jackets for August Derleth's Arkham House during the first two decades of that publisher's history.
Folkways designs
In the early years of Folkways Records (1948), founder Moses AschMoses Asch
Moses Asch was the founder of Folkways Records. Asch ran the label from 1948 until his death...
felt that the cover designs should marry with the recorded sound, and they differed from those of other commercial record labels. They use only two-colour printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
on matt paper glued over a thick matt black cardboard sleeve - always leaving a thin black line around the cover’s edge. Artists that contributed to the overall style of Folkways records were Irwin Rosenhouse, David Stone Martin
David Stone Martin
David Stone Martin , born David Livingstone Martin, was an influential American artist best known for his illustrations on jazz record albums....
and Craig Mierop. However Clyne’s singular use of typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
, layout
Page layout
Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement and style treatment of elements on a page.- History and development :...
and image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
was to be most often used and he was inspired by portrait photos given to him by Asch, and images that he would source during regular visits to the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
and National Archive.
Exhibitions
In 2007, from the 29th of September, to the 27th of October, a retrospectiveRetrospective
Retrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place. For example, the term is used in medicine, describing a look back at a patient's medical history or lifestyle.-Music:...
exhibition
Exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and exhibition halls, and World's Fairs...
of Clyne's work was mounted and curated by John Nixon
John Nixon
John Nixon is the name of:* John Nixon, Armagh, Irish Republican, Hunger Striker 1981.* John Nixon , Member of the Long Parliament in England, representing Oxford City 1646-1648...
, Stephen Bram and Warren Taylor and was first shown at The Narrows
The Narrows
The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Featured works included a spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
record by John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
with music by David Tudor
David Tudor
David Eugene Tudor was an American pianist and composer of experimental music.- Biography :Tudor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied piano with Irma Wolpe and composition with Stefan Wolpe and became known as one of the leading performers of avant garde piano music. He gave the...
; Indian Music of Mexico, played in traditional communities and recorded by Henrietta Urchenko; The Real Boogie Woogie by Memphis Slim
Memphis Slim
Memphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other...
and Folk Songs for Young People by Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
.
Selected Folkways covers
- Ella JenkinsElla JenkinsElla Jenkins is an American folk singer. Dubbed “The First Lady of the Children’s Folk Song” by the Wisconsin State Journal, Jenkins has been a leading performer of children’s music for fifty years.-Family and personal life:...
- Seasons For Singing - Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
& Sonny TerrySonny TerrySaunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry was a blind American Piedmont blues musician. He was widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts.-Career:Terry was born in Greensboro, Georgia...
at Carnegie HallCarnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park.... - Memphis SlimMemphis SlimMemphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other...
- Memphis Slim - Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
Sings Folk Songs - Dave Van RonkDave Van RonkDave Van Ronk was an American folk singer, born in Brooklyn, New York, who settled in Greenwich Village, New York, and was eventually nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street" ....
- Ballads, Blues and a Spiritual - Cisco HoustonCisco HoustonGilbert Vandine 'Cisco' Houston was an American folk singer and songwriter who is closely associated with Woody Guthrie due to their extensive history of recording together....
Sings Songs of the Open Road - RaimonRaimonRamon Pelegero Sanchis, who takes the stage name of Raimon , is a Valencian Spanish singer, one of the most important exponents of the musical style of Nova Cançó and one of the most well-known veteran artists in the Catalan language.-Youth:...
- Catalonian Protest songProtest songA protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
s - The Roots of Lightnin' HopkinsThe Roots of Lightnin' HopkinsThe Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins is a 1965 album by the Texan blues guitarist and singer Lightnin' Hopkins. It had originally been released in 1959 on the Folkways label under the title of "Lightnin' Hopkins"....
Selected book covers
- Something About Cats and Other PiecesSomething About Cats and Other PiecesSomething About Cats and Other Pieces is a collection of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories, poetry and essays by American author H. P. Lovecraft...
- The Abominations of YondoThe Abominations of YondoThe Abominations of Yondo is a collection of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories by author Clark Ashton Smith. It was released in 1960 and was the author's fourth collection of stories published by Arkham House. It was released in an edition of 2,005 copies...
- Something NearSomething NearSomething Near is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1945 and was the author's second book published by Arkham House. 2,054 copies were printed....
- The Lurker at the ThresholdThe Lurker at the ThresholdThe Lurker at the Threshold is a short novel in the Cthulhu Mythos genre of horror. It was written in 1945 by August Derleth, based on two short fragments written by H. P. Lovecraft, who died in 1937, and published as a collaboration between the two authors. According to S. T...
- West India LightsWest India LightsWest India Lights is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Henry S. Whitehead. It was released in 1946 and was the second collection of the author's stories to be published by Arkham House...
- The Doll and One OtherThe Doll and One OtherThe Doll and One Other is a collection of two fantasy and horror novelettes by author Algernon Blackwood. It was released in 1946 and was the first publication of either novelette...
- Fearful PleasuresFearful PleasuresFearful Pleasures is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author A. E. Coppard. It was released in 1946 and was the first collection of the author's stories to be published by Arkham House...
- The Clock Strikes TwelveThe Clock Strikes TwelveThe Clock Strikes Twelve is a collection of stories by author H. Russell Wakefield. It was released in 1946 and was the first collection of the author's stories to be published by Arkham House...
- Revelations in BlackRevelations in BlackRevelations in Black is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Carl Jacobi. It was released in 1947 and was the author's first book...
- This Mortal Coil (book)This Mortal Coil (book)This Mortal Coil is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Cynthia Asquith. It was released in 1947 and was the only collection of the author's stories to be published by Arkham House...
- Night's Black AgentsNight's Black AgentsNight's Black Agents is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Fritz Leiber. It was released in 1947 and was the author's first book...
- The Throne of Saturn (short story collection)
- Not Long for this WorldNot Long for this WorldNot Long for this World is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1948 and was the author's third collection published by Arkham House...
- Tales from UnderwoodTales from UnderwoodTales from Underwood is a collection of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories by author David H. Keller. It was released in 1952 and was the author's first collection published in association with Arkham House. It was also the first of only two books published by Pellegrini & Cudahy...
- The Survivor and OthersThe Survivor and OthersThe Survivor and Others is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by August Derleth, inspired by some of H. P. Lovecraft's notes left behind after his death. Derleth, Lovecraft's literary executor billed himself as a "posthumous collaborator" with the other writer. It was released in an...
- In Re: Sherlock HolmesIn Re: Sherlock Holmes"In Re: Sherlock Holmes" -- The Adventures of Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1945 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 3,604 copies. It was the first book issued under the Mycroft & Moran imprint...
- Wisconsin MurdersWisconsin MurdersWisconsin Murders is a collection of true crime accounts written by author August Derleth. It was released in 1968 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 1,958 copies. The stories detail sixteen cases of sudden death in Wisconsin for 1842 to 1926...
- Nightmares and DaydreamsNightmares and DaydreamsFor the Avatar episode, see Nightmares and Daydreams Nightmares and Daydreams is a collection of stories by author Nelson Bond. It was released in 1968 by Arkham House in an edition of 2,040 copies. It was the author's first book to be published by Arkham House...
- The Exploits of Chevalier DupinThe Exploits of Chevalier DupinThe Exploits of Chevalier Dupin is a collection of detective short stories by author Michael Harrison. It was released in 1968 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 1,917 copies. The stories are pastiches of the C. Auguste Dupin stories of Edgar Allan Poe...
- The Opener of the WayThe Opener of the WayThe Opener of the Way is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author Robert Bloch. It was released in 1945 and was the author's first book...
- The Folsom Flint and Other Curious TalesThe Folsom Flint and Other Curious TalesThe Folsom Flint and Other Curious Tales is a collection of stories by author David H. Keller. It was released in 1969 by Arkham House in an edition of 2,031 copies. It was the author's second book to be published by Arkham House.-Contents:...
- Mycroft & MoranMycroft & MoranMycroft & Moran was an imprint of Arkham House publishers and was created in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1945. The imprint was created to publish weird detective stories and the Solar Pons stories by August Derleth...
- The Curse of Yig (book)The Curse of Yig (book)The Curse of Yig is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories and essays by author Zealia Bishop. It was released in 1953 and was the author's only collection published by Arkham House. It was released in an edition of 1,217 copies....
- Witch HouseWitch HouseWitch House is a novel by author Evangeline Walton. It was published by Arkham House in an edition of 2,949 copies. It was the first full-length novel to be published by Arkham House and was listed as the initial book in the Library of Arkham House Novels of Fantasy and Terror.-Reprints:*London:...
- Green Tea and Other Ghost StoriesGreen Tea and Other Ghost StoriesGreen Tea and Other Ghost Stories is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author J. Sheridan Le Fanu. It was released in 1945 and was the author's first book to be published in the United States...
- Three Problems for Solar PonsThree Problems for Solar PonsThree Problems for Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1952 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 996 copies. It was the third collection of Derleth's Solar Pons stories which are pastiches of the Sherlock Holmes tales of Arthur...
- The Green RoundThe Green RoundThe Green Round is a horror novel by author Arthur Machen. It was originally published by Ernest Benn in 1933. The first U.S. edition was published by Arkham House in 1968 in an edition of 2,058 copies. It was Machen's first and only book published by Arkham House....
- The Fourth Book of JorkensThe Fourth Book of JorkensThe Fourth Book of Jorkens is a collection of fantasy short stories, narrated by Mr. Joseph Jorkens, by author Lord Dunsany. It was first published by Jarrolds in 1947. It was the fourth collection of Dunsany's Jorkens tales to be published...
Influences
Clyne was an admirer and collector of the works of Poul KjaerholmPoul Kjaerholm
Poul Kjærholm was a Danish designer.Born in Øster Vrå, Denmark, Kjærholm began as a cabinetmaker's apprentice with Gronbech in 1948, going on to the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen in 1952...
and Melanesian Art from New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
.
Quotes
"A record cover should be seen at a glance. You shouldn’t have to study different sections of it. You should see the total instantly."Quotes about
- "Ronald Clyne designed over 500 album covers for Folkways and is largely responsible for the famous label's striking visual appearance. His distinctive use of two-colour printing on matte paper and his deft use of modernist design strategies, created a body of work that gave the Folkways label its distinctive aroma of integrity and purity."
- “Clyne represents the graphic soul of Folkways. And a major factor in his success is that, like all great designers, he had a great client. In Moe Asch, Ronald Clyne discovered the ideal client; and in Clyne, Asch discovered the perfect artist to give form to his remarkable sonic vision.”
Works about
Dan SteffanDan Steffan
Dan Steffan is an American cartoonist and writer who has contributed to both mainstream and underground publications for several decades.-1970s:...
’s survey of Clyne's life and career was published in Earl Kemp
Earl Kemp
Earl Kemp is an American science fiction editor, critic, and fan who won a Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 1961 for Who Killed Science Fiction, a collection of questions and answers with top writers in the field. In 2011 a book edition of Who Killed Science Fiction was published by The Merry...
's ezine, e.I (December 2008)
External links
- Artspace exhibition article http://www.artspace.org.nz/exhibitions/2007/ronaldclyne.asp
- Grain edit gallery of covers http://grainedit.com/2010/03/15/ronald-clyne-at-folkways/
- UnitEditions article/gallery http://www.uniteditions.com/archives/ronald-clyne-american-folk-modernist/
- Stephen Frost interview http://www.uniteditions.com/archives/ronald-clyne-%E2%80%98perfectionist-and-individualist-%E2%80%99/
- Folkways site list of covers http://www.docstoc.com/docs/46536044/RONALD-CLYNE-COVER-DESIGN-FOLKWAYS-RECORDS-1951-1981