Ryan thanks for posting this, these are great ads, sort of like Boris Artzybasheff. But in ads. Definitly Kevin and Django. I was just having drinks with a bunch of oldschool illustrators last night (Society of Illustrators awards are tonight in NYC), and we lamented about this same thing. Thankfully there are still artists out there who know how to draw and paint with out the computer. MRAK
The tractors are fantastic. They would look great in my collection of agricultural media! Thanks for sharing. Now I have something else to search eBay for. Ryan, do you have any duplicates you would like to sell?
Some of those pictures remind me of the nose of a '38 Willys. They also remind me of the cover art of old 1950s science fiction kid's books. Everything was always super streamlined and looked like it was "out of the future". Pretty neat drawings! So it's "the future" now, and everything is boring and square, with no style. What happened? When you look at the boring cars on the road today, it's kind of sad. No style. Just plain-ness, conformity, and square-ness. It's like everything is made of Legos now.
Great inspiration Ryan, Thanx a Bunch. If form still dictated the auto world we would have all these imported shit boxes running around. The world would be a better place (well at least better to look at). thanx again Ryan. Jaysin
Ryan Thanks Our Hot Rod Fathers were sitting around on days they couldn't work on their rides, looking at these types of illistrations and imagineering what they could/would do. If you try you could build a Rod that would look Too Fast To Drive. Dick
Great art. The tandem rotor helo was my favorite and was built in several renditions. The Boeing 360 which was never built looked closer to that rendition than all the others. The train art was also closely realized in operating units. The father of Tandem rotors just died about 2-3 weeks ago. Igor had nothing on him. RIP Frank Piasecki
Didn't Bohn do some really bitchin Streamliner style trailers ads? I seem to remember a cabover looking Truck and trailer,that looked like the driver sat underneath the trailer overhang.
Products are now designed for ease of manufacture rather than a goal of aesthetic beauty. American consumers have lost their appreciation for design, and replaced it with a lust for what can be obtained cheap and now. (Exhibit A: Wal-Mart.)
That Mercedes truck is trying at least. The rotating windshield wipers is a great example of form following function. What better way to clean a round windshield AND subconsciously represent the manufacturer logo at the same time? I'd like to see more designs go that route, but even when I see all the concept car sketches that are being output now, there just seems to be something missing. If I had to put a word on it, I would say: Mass. The majority of concept illustrations I've seen focus on being freaky for the sake of being different, not for any foreseeable reason. The difference in illustrations like the BOHN stuff is this palpable feeling of weight, strength and mass. Trim things down to their basic function and look good doing it. Maybe it's all the chrome.
The Bohn Aluminum and Brass Co was the source for Bohnalite aluminum heads as used on the 1935 Miller Fords at the Indy 500. Also sponsored Don Sullivan in 1934 Indy with the Bohnalite Special.
Very futuristic, yet still quite deco. Beautiful to look at, but what did they tell us about the product? Mechanical fantasy? Bohn's design future looked better from their chronological perspective than design actually ended up, looking back from ours. Round is so much nicer than square.
i had to come back to this today after seeing a cigarette lighter in a gas station today that reminded me of the portholes on that engine, red and everything. it was a smooth, art deco style red rectangle with 8 little oval portholes down the front with the same style and flair. i'm still thinking of going back and getting it because it was so damn neat.
Man that stuff is awesome. I love the art deco designs and style, and the fact that Bohn is my last name too! kinda cool that im in the metal industry also. I'll stop talking about myself now haha.
If you guy slike this art, find a copy of William Gibson short story entittled 'The Gernsback Continuum' Anyone read it ? I think it's in the Burning Chrome book. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gernsback_Continuum And while we're at it, those pictures remind me of my 1958 Brunswick Anniversary pool table which has a really Streamline Moderne appearance with it's giant aluminum corner castings and rounded shapes.
I have always loved Bohn's art.. Here's a bunch more.... http://www.plan59.com Just click on the image and it takes you to the next... One of my favorites is the Merry Go Round. Not sure why. I guess because the thought of a Merry Go Round, that isn't round, intrigues me....
The Jalopy Journal
