Parks Standards Manual

The National Parks in America are a real sight to behold and they’ve been an integral part of the US culture for many years now and it is this which is celebrated in this fantastic looking Parks book from Standards Manual. It is their second title made in collaboration with talented photographer Brian Kelley and it is a collection of over 300 United States national park maps, ephemera, and brochures documenting the parks over the last 100 years.

Standards Manual are an independent publishing imprint which was founded by designers Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth in New York City in 2014. They have made it their mission is to archive and preserve artefacts of design history and make them available to future generations and that’s exactly what they’ve done with this nostalgia filled Parks book which is available for pre-order now for the price of $55.

Perfect Coffee Table Book

If you’ve even got a mere passing interest in the National Parks of America, this Parks book from Standards Manual will be most engaging indeed and it is filled with a diverse range of data, advertising and other interesting pieces of the last century of the parks themselves. Boasting 384 pages, this is quite the tome and it is an entertaining perusal from start to finish that will sit nicely on the coffee table of any contemporary home looking for interesting pieces to form part of their interior design endeavours.

The Parks book from Standards Manual ($55) is Part of an ongoing project, where Brian Kelley collects oft-overlooked objects within the Parks Service. The book showcases nearly a century of art, cartography, and printed materials in a compelling visual history of America’s national parks and evolving graphic design styles culminating in Massimo Vignelli’s iconic design system, the Unigrid.

All the major American National Parks are featured in this first class compilation from Standards Manual and for those with a love of vintage design and advertising, it will serve as a mighty interesting look into how the parks themselves were marketed and enjoyed over the last century. Given the climate issues we’re experiencing, it’s now more important than ever to remember and treasure our National Parks and this book serves as an excellent reminder of their glory.

Top Quality Print

All the book releases from Standards Manual are of the highest quality from a print and material perspective and this classy Parks book is no exception. Each one is printed in Italy to exacting standards and stochastic screen printing ensures the tangible quality to each page. It is case bound with a silkscreened cover and spine and cloth wrapped finish so wherever you choose to display this book, it’s going to elevate the aesthetic appeal of that spot considerably.

Priced at just $55, the Parks book from Standards Manual is great value of money considering it is 384 pages positively chock full of engaging and striking pieces of art, marketing and paraphernalia from the American National Parks over the last 100 years. A great and interesting read that will appeal to anyone with a love of exploration, nature, design and the parks in general – definitely one we’re looking to get our hands on here at Coolector HQ.