1000 Patterns: Design Through the Centuries

By Drusilla Cole

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All-American Ads of the 30s

By Jim Heimann, Steven Heller

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This book is one of a marvelous series by Jim Heimann that catalogs American advertising from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1980s. It is an indispensable reference when trying to evoke this era in a project. (Bart Marable)

Deco Type: Stylish Alphabets of the '20s & '30s

By Steven Heller, Louise Fili

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Designage: The Art of the Decorative Sign

By Arnold Schwartzman

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This book is a beautiful collection of storefront signage from Europe and the United States. Most of the signs in the book were hand-crafted in the late Victorian, art nouveau, and art deco periods. Instead of organizing them chronologically, however, Schwartzman divides them by materials, such as mosaic, paint and wood, and metal. Although the main subject of the book is the typography, it's also a helpful reference for weathering details. (Bart Marable)

Encyclopedia of Ephemera; A Guide to the Fragmentary Documents of Everyday Life for the Collector, Curator and Historian

By M. RICKARDS

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Graphic Style : From Victorian to Digital

By Steven Heller, Seymour Chwast

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Living Colors: The Definitive Guide to Color Palettes Through the Ages

By Margaret Walch, Augustine Hope

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Matchbox Labels

By Jane Smith

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Reinventing the Wheel

By Jessica Helfand

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Typology: Type Design from the Victorian Era to the Digital Age

By Steven Heller, Louise Fili

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