Soviet Book and Dustjacket Design

JF Ptak Science Books  Post 2051  
   

[Kuznetsov, E. Tsirk. [Circus.] Moscow: Academia, 1931; Cover design by N. Akimov.; 8 v., [655] leaves of plates : col. ill. ; 32 x 57 cm.]

I found this dustjacket art of Soviet-era books (all from the 1930's save one)  in the New York Public Library collections (here) and was struck by the geometrical objects in many of the designs. They have a sense of warmth to me, somehow, like softer work coming from the tail end of the Constructivist period, having elements of Dada but really just having some of the hard edge of Constructivism without the scorching/awakening images that might have been embedded in the geometrical design. 

Lapin, Boris Matveevich. Podvig. [A Heroic Exploit.] Leningrad: Izd-vo Pisatelei v Leningrade, 1934. Cover design by S. Iudovin.

SSSR-SSHA. Mezhdunarodnyi shakhmatnyi match po radio. Moskva: Fizkultura i sport, 1946.

 

 Shternberg, Lev Ikovlevich. Giliaki. [Giliaks.] Khabarovsk: Dal'giz, 1933. (1933)

Molchanov, Aleksandr. Krest'ianin. [A Peasant.] Leningrad: Izd-vo Pisatelei v Leningrade, 1933. (1933)

 

Vinogradov, Ivan Arkhipovich. Ispytanie geroia. O tvorchestve Iu. Lebedinskogo. [An Experiment over the Protagonist. On ... (1934)

Gorbatov, Boris Leont’evich. Moe pokolenie. [My Generation.] Moscow: Sovetskaia Literatura, 1934. (1934)

Ginzburg, Moisei Iakovlevich. Zhilishche. [A Dwelling.] Moscow: Gosstroiizdat, 1934. (1934)

Krupskaia, Nadezhda Konstantinovna. Sobranie sochinenii. t.4. [Collected Works. Vol. 4.] Moscow: Uchpedgiz, 1934. (1934)

Dos Passos, J. Tri soldata. [Three Soldiers.] Khar’kiv: LIM, 1934. (1934)

 

Iakutskii fol'klor. [Iakut Folklore.] Leningrad: Sovetskii Pisatel’, 1936. (1936)

 

Neverov, Aleksandr Sergeevich. Gusi-lebedi. [Geese-Swans.] Moscow: Zemlia i Fabrica, 1927. (1927)

Zarkhi, Natan Abramovich. Ulitsa radosti. [Street of Joy.] Leningrad: Lengikh, 1933. (1933)

Serebrianskii, Mark Isakovich. Furmanov. [Furmanov.] Moscow: Goslitizdat, 1936. (1936)

 

[Source: FlyerGoodness, here--many more on that site.]

[Source: FlyerGoodness, here--many more on that site.]