Great British Icons: Penguin Books - British Design Classics

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Penguin Books began in 1935 in the bathroom of three brothers who came up with the idea of ??publishing high-quality books at a low cost. Using modern graphics and printing methods, they created a modern paperback format and brought low-cost books to the mass market. Founder Alan Lane was known for his authoritarian control of the company, his considerable business acumen, and his publication of controversial books for advocacy and principles. The company flourished during World War II but declined amid increasing competition after the war. It ended as an independent company in 1970, after the death of Alan Lane,

The key facts began publishing low-quality books in 1935 as a modern paperback founded and run by Sir Alan Lane Social prophets who rose to prominence through the publication of controversial books such as Lady Chatterley's Lover in the 19th century saw early on that every individual was an important engine of social change. While most people remain illiterate or limited to the most basic skills, social progress remains a dream. Education is not free and therefore is not available to the children of the poorest workers, who make up the majority of the population. Therefore, an important aspect for most groups driven by religion or socialism is to improve educational standards. The Working People's Adult Education Class was developed together with the Men's and Women's Workers' Colleges in the mid-19th century, and later became the Workers' Education Association. It was developed on the principle of education for everyone. Self-education also became a goal for many, and it was with this goal in mind that publisher Joseph Den founded Everyman's Library in 1906. This is a series of 50 classic books, reprinted in pocket-sized format, produced using low-cost methods and sold for one shilling (one twentieth of a pound). The Everyman's Library continues to this day, but its goals were captured and expanded by a more famous name: Penguin Books. During the Great Depression, publishers struggled to enter the mass market. In 1934, British publishers held a conference at Rippon Hall in Oxford to discuss how to attract more Many readers. One of the attendees was Alan Lane, who was with Bodley Head, a publishing house founded by his uncle John Lane. Alan Lane, who has been editor-in-chief since his uncle's death in 1925, has been at loggerheads with the board over his desire to publish James Joyce's controversial book Ulysses.

Alan and his brothers Richard and John devised a plan to publish low-cost pocket books with soft paper covers for 6p (half a shilling). These cheap books were already available, but were associated with the more "scary" end of book publishing, and Lines's goal was to publish high-quality literature. The idea was not Lane’s own invention. Albatross Books was founded in Germany in 1932 by John Holloyd Rees, Max Wegener and Kurt Enoch. The company publishes reprints in a simple, modern font, in a pocket-sized format, using paper covers coded by theme (green for travel, orange for novels, etc.). The alleys follow the albatross concept exactly, right down to the title of the bird's name. In fact, although Albatross was closed during World War II, Kurt Enoch would continue as manager of Penguin America.

He claimed that the marketing angle devised by Alan Lane came from finding himself on a train platform with nothing to do, reading and selling books through the then new invention of the Penguin Random House Group.

Penguin editions of classic literary books are still around, and you'll find a selection of them in most British bookstores. Considered by many to be the "official" editions of many classic works of literature, Penguin will collect articles and footnotes that add to the history of the book and enrich the reading experience. They still follow a unified design aesthetic, but they no longer have their own unique color spikes. Penguin occasionally releases special editions and recently released a special black edition containing 80 short excerpts from classic literary works. Today, these penguin shorts have become a collector's item.

Further research Several books have been written about the history of the company, including: Penguin and the Lane Brothers: The Untold Story of a Publishing Revolution, by Stuart Kells (2015) written. The book was controversial for accusing Alan Lane of mythologizing and exaggerating his role in the formation and development of the company.

Penguin Design: Cover Stories 1935-2005, by Phil Baines, Phil (2007) Penguin Stories, Hammondsworth, by W.E. Williams (1956) You can also easily find the original Penguin books From the early days in second hand bookshops across the UK.