B.
Max Hailstone: Book and Typographic Designer
Behind the scenes
An exhibition of book and typographical designs by Max Hailstone is on now at Central Library Peterborough to coincide with the Physics Room project (Graphic) Design School School.
Cover of Design and Designers by Max Hailstone, 1985
Max was one of Canterbury's most successful and respected book designers and through his position as graphic design lecturer at University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts between 1973 and his sudden death in 1997 he influenced many design students. This exhibiton brings together a small sample of his design work including book covers, ephemera including logo designs and invitations catalogue designs and, my personal favourite, his work as a letterpress printer. I like the way Max seamlessly worked between modern photo-typesetting technologies of his time yet also engaged with old school traditional handset letterpress methods.
Landfall 126
Carl Sydow (1940-1975): Memorial Exhibition designed with Hamish Thompson, 1975
Liverpool Polytechnic Facultyof Art and Design: Department of Printing Prosepectus, 1970
Max arrived in New Zealand from England in 1973 after studying graphic design at Leicester College of Art in the 1960s and having held a teaching position at the Liverpool College of Art in the early 1970s.
A letter from Bartolomeo Vanzetti to his friend's son Dante Sacco from the Death House, Massachusetts State Prison: 7/4/17 - seven years, four months, seventeen days, designed and printed by Max Hailstone and Leo Bensmann, Huntsbury Press, 1975. Collection Christchurch Art Gallery Library, presented by the Bensemann Family.
These pages were printed by Max and Leo Bensemann at Bensemann's private press, The Huntsbury Press, in Huntsbury, Christchurch in 1975. The pair collaborated on several letterpress projects and also established the Underoak Press at University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts, where Bensemann apparently taught from time to time. More research needs to be done on the Underoak Press starting with a checklist of what was produced under the imprint... watch this space... if you're a letterpress fiend.