Tucked away in the 130+ years of the Picture Collection’s Illustration categories is a sub-category with its feet in four decades. Illustration – Westvaco (1927-1954) contains 40 issues of The West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company’s publication Inspiration for Printers. Unlike the majority of content in the Picture Collection, this category contains whole magazines (as opposed to mounted individual sheets culled from magazines, books, pamphlet, etc.). It featured reprints of advertisements as well as original art and design and was itself an advertisement aimed mostly at designers and advertising agencies. The idea was to showcase paper types and printing processes to encourage the sale of paper and services. They are gorgeous and their continued vibrancy is a testament to the superior quality.

From the inside cover of n. 105 (1937):

Title page to n. 35 (1927).

n. 35 (1927) Canadian Pacific Cruises Ad. Prepared by Ray D. Lillibridge Inc., and painted by Maurice Logan. Printed on Sterling Enamel 25×38-100.

Howard Willard Referenced Cover Below

n. 116 (1939)

n. 116 Inside Cover (1939). Halftone Illustration, 133-Line Screen, By Melbourne Brindle, Depicting the Pineapple Industry of Hawaii, From and advertisement of the Hawaii Tourist Bureau, Prepared by Bowman Deute Cummings, Inc.

Cover n. 41 (1928)

n. 41 (1928). “The Midnight Express” courtesy of the Cadillac Motor Car Company. Printed by offset lithography.

n. 105 (1937) Title Page.

n. 129 (1941)

n. 158 (1946) 

n. 177 (1949)
Painter: Robert Kuhn
Art Director: Kenneth Paul
Advertiser: Ethyl Corporation
Agency: Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborne Inc.
Engraving: Four color process, 120 line screen

More samples to come in a future post…