A collection of 100 postcards, each featuring a different and iconic
Penguin book jacket. From classics to crime, here are over seventy years
of quintessentially British design in one box. In 1935 Allen Lane stood
on a platform at Exeter railway station, looking for a good book for the
journey to London. His disappointment at the poor range of paperbacks on
offer led him to found Penguin Books. The quality paperback had arrived.
Declaring that 'good design is no more expensive than bad', Lane was
adamant that his Penguin paperbacks should cost no more than a packet of
cigarettes, but that they should always look distinctive. Ever since
then, from their original - now world-famous - look featuring three bold
horizontal stripes, through many different stylish, inventive and iconic
cover designs, Penguin's paperback jackets have been a constantly
evolving part of Britain's culture. And whether they're for classics,
crime, reference or prize-winning novels, they still follow Allen Lane's
original design mantra. Sometimes, you definitely should judge a book by
its cover.