Stimulating, brilliantly designed postcards, one for every type of person you know
Who? Founded in 1937, Pelican is the non-fiction sibling to Penguin Books. For the colour-minded – Penguin are the orange books, Pelican are the cyan. Pelican's objective: to be accessible, stimulating and educational. Their mission was achieved with striking, simplistic covers with clear prose, available for a small price – the same as a packet of cigarettes. Founder Allen Lane wrote, "We believed in the existence in this country of a vast reading public for intelligent books at a low price, and staked everything on it." The Guardian later cited Pelican as the "informal university for '50s Britons".
"It's always good to take a break and put pen to postcard"
What? Pelican published many of the major intellects of the 20th century including historian Eric Hobsbawm, literary critic Boris Ford, philosopher A.J. Ayer, and scientist Jacob Bronowski. Classics included Totem and Taboo, The Eighteen Nineties, An Introduction to Modern Architecture, Coming of Age in Samoa, The Pelican Guide to English Literature, and Childhood in Society. Pelican’s early supporters included Orwell, H.G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, and JB Priestley.
The success was phenomenal. Customers queued in the streets for the first Pelican – George Bernard Shaw's The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism – which sold a million copies in six weeks, with the collective titles selling over 250 million copies worldwide, over 50 years. That's not including the many copies that were passed down through generations. The books were sadly discontinued in 1984 but this year will see a relaunch of five economy-themed titles along with a refreshed logo – a continuation of the bird in flight designed by Edward Young – while still making use of the trademark cyan colour.
Why? Postcards are brilliant – quick to write, thoughtful and nostalgic. And in the digital age, when we turn to text/email/social media to send a message, it's always good to take a break and put pen to postcard. Even better when the front promotes graphic design and gives a gentle nod to both education and humour.
The box set covers every subject one can think of – from yoga to sex, alcohlism to animal behaviour. Send them to a friend/lover/family member. Frame them and put them in your loo. Sift out your favourites and hunt down the originals on eBay.
Postcards from Pelican: 100 Subjects in One Box is priced £14.99 and available from November 6.
Words by Laura Bradley
