There are a lot of headbands in the National Basketball Association. And socks and towels and jerseys. And on every one of them; in fact on just about all things NBA, there is the logo. You know the one. It’s one of the most recognized images in the world. And anyone who has the slightest interest in basketball knows that the guy in the image is Jerry West. Everyone, that is, except the NBA, which tends to hedge questions about the logo saying that they don’t have a record of who it is.
What name do you associate with the “We Can Do It” poster? Rosie the Riveter? Yeah, me too; until recently, anyway. Turns out, we’re wrong. Kind of. The iconic image captures an era and serves to remind us of a great—though somewhat unintentional—wave of American feminism that will always be associated with Rosie the Riveter, but, it’s not Rosie.
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: A look at Nudie Cohn’s legendary glittering Western suits
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: The design history of an iconic currency
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: The history of baseball uniforms is also a tale of typography
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: Crosswords and other cryptic puzzles
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: What is it that compels the mind of a collector?
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: A tribute to music’s most enduring symbol
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: How an iconic sign reflected a changing city
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: The fascinating origin, evolution and integration of a ubiquitous mark
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: A look at an artist who has defined an era of Bay Area music
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: the forgotten beauty of typewriter ribbon tin design
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: A look at a vintage form of advertising
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: Remembering a DIY art movement from yesteryear
A FINE LINE BY CAT JOHNSON: “My love affair with letters goes back as far as my mind does. Remember the cool perfection of the carved ABC blocks? And the frustration that there was only one of each? Twenty six letters is just not enough for any serious wordsmith.”
A FINE LINE, BY CAT JOHNSON: I’m one of the endangered music lovers who goes for the album experience. From the cover art and packaging to the practically perfect afternoon spent listening to an album from top to bottom, thumbing through the photos, reading along with the lyrics, envisioning the band at work in the studio…this for me is bliss
Paul M Davis