Monday, May 14, 2012

Typography: The Stat Store


In the years before the desktop computer, graphic design used a variety of photographic products such as photostats, veloxes, color photostats, etc. which were used for reproduction, paste-ups, comprehensives, etc. The Stat Store was one of the providers of such products.

Back in the early 1980s, when I shared a business studio, with Ralph Reese, Joe Barney, Joe D'Esposito and Mary LeCleir, at 6 West 20th Street in Manhattan, the Stat Store was across the street. As far as I know, it was the only one of its kind to sell ice cream during the summer months. As more advertising agencies moved into the neighborhood, the Stat Store moved to 148 Fifth Avenue. Tibor Kalman’s M&Co. was hired to create a new logo and the usual assortment of business cards, price lists and other printed matter. (The original logo can be viewed here.)

The first price lists featured Andy Warhol, whom Kalman, at an AIGA event many years ago, said was an expensive model. There were two separate cards: one price list for black-and-white products and one for color products. A few years later, the prices were revised and the lists featured the Checker taxi.

As desktop publishing flourished, the demand for products from the Stat Store, and others like it, diminished and they gradually went out of business.


Each card measures 8.5 inches / 21.6 centimeters square.


Each card measures 7 by 11 inches / 17.8 by 28 centimeters.



Related Post
Stat Store Publishing

(Next post on Monday)

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