I’ve been randomly finding and hoarding old tourism leaflets and maps etc used as bookmarks and at the bottom of boxes, for a while now.

Often, the most interesting examples are not the truly (properly?) designed objects such as album covers or book jackets, but the ones which have another function - advertising or promotion. Leaflets, adverts, event programmes and map covers seem to be especially revealing, for some reason.

It’s not a real collection or anything, but I find myself drawn to these things, amused and inspired by the design and font treatments they used throughout the 60s, 70s and early 80s. I feel like they should be captured somehow, rather than languishing as drawer-linings until they disintegrate, and so I find myself scanning or photographing them.

Some are shockingly garish, some are classy, some use fonts which have never been seen since: all are very much of their time. A slice of life.

Will the noughties have an equally identifiable design and font style, I wonder?

The first person to mention web 2.0 gradient fill backgrounds will get a withering glare, I expect.