Bandontwerp voor: Oom Ben, Pim's Poppetjes: een kijksprookje voor zijn vriendinnetjes en vriendjes, 1913 before 1913

This is the cover design for "Pim's Puppets: A Peepshow Fairy Tale for His Girlfriends and Boyfriends," made in 1913 by an anonymous artist known only as Oom Ben, or Uncle Ben. It is a lithograph, a printmaking technique that relies on the tension between oily and water-based substances. The design is relatively simple, and would have been produced through a commercial process to accompany a mass-produced children's book. Note the clean lines, careful registration of colors, and simple composition, all conducive to efficient printing. The cover's division into distinct blocks of color, with type and imagery neatly arranged within, speaks to an understanding of streamlined production. Yet, the human touch is evident too, especially in the whimsical image on the left. This reminds us that all design, however seemingly impersonal, is always made by someone, somewhere. So, paying attention to the material processes involved in making this print allows us to appreciate the skill and labor involved in bringing this charming cover design to life.