People’s Graphic Design Archive

How to use the Chinese abacus

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:17:47 +0000

This is a small, introductory booklet on the subject of how to use the Chinese Abacus. Created in 1956, and distributed by Chong Imports out of San Francisco's Chinatown.

In the opening pages, this booklet utilizes pictograms to help individuals learn the ropes. And throughout the booklet, the illustrations reinforce the points made in the associated text. Filled with informational illustrations, as well as decorative iconography, this is a prime example of layout design before computers. (And note the leading exception made for the paragraph with the pictograms so they fit properly.)

Chong Imports was a tourist shop located on the bottom floor of the China Trade Center, which was also home to the famed Empress of China restaurant. These little known, and generally overlooked pieces of design are nuggets of inspiration in a sea of modern ephemera.

Width: 4.25"
Height: 5.375"
Pages: 48
Author: F. S. Tom
Copyright: 1956
Printed: Gary Horn Graphics, San Mateo, CA

Human Beings Gather

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:15:14 +0000

The photographed page shows covers from Human Beings Gather! The covers use Tezuka’s recognizable character-based drawing style while presenting the work as an adult-oriented manga.

The visual presentation is deliberately different from the softer, more child-oriented appearance associated with some of Tezuka’s better-known works. The characters and lettering create a bold and slightly absurd appearance that fits the satirical nature of the story.

Osamu Tezuka created Human Beings Gather! as an adult-oriented satire. The manga was serialized in Weekly Manga Sunday from January 25, 1967, to July 24, 1968. Tezuka’s official website explains that he intentionally changed his drawing style for this work in order to create a more absurd atmosphere appropriate to its adult subject matter.

Shihon Nushi

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:13:22 +0000

The image shows Yumeji’s early graphic work in a more satirical and socially engaged context. The figure is presented in an exaggerated manner, using unusual proportions and expressive forms. Unlike a conventional portrait or painting, the work is designed to communicate an idea quickly through simplified visual forms.

Yumeji began his career making illustrations for newspapers and magazines before becoming widely known for his poetic and romantic images. The British Museum records that he contributed illustrations to the left-wing magazine Hikari and the newspaper Heimin Shinbun during the early part of his career.

Captain Atom

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:11:21 +0000

The image comes from the early manga series Captain Atom, which introduced the robot character Atom. The character was later developed into the much more famous Astro Boy.

Osamu Tezuka is one of the most influential figures in the history of modern Japanese manga. He developed a cinematic approach to comics, using changes in panel size, perspective, close-ups, movement, and dramatic pacing to create a more dynamic reading experience.

Haru no Maki

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:06:00 +0000

The image is the title page of Takehisa Yumeji’s Yumeji Gashū: Haru no Maki. The page combines written characters with decorative visual elements, demonstrating how illustration and typography could be integrated into the design of a Japanese book.

Takehisa Yumeji was a Japanese painter, printmaker, illustrator, and designer born in Okayama in 1884. He became particularly influential in Japanese popular graphics during the early twentieth century.

Yumeji became known for his distinctive depictions of women, often characterized by elongated bodies, large eyes, and melancholic expressions. His visual style was influenced in part by European Jugendstil.

Ao Buzu

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:04:49 +0000

The illustration depicts Ao Bōzu, a supernatural creature represented as a large blue/greenish figure. Like Sekien’s other yōkai illustrations, the creature is presented as an individual subject rather than being buried within a complicated scene

Toriyama Sekien was one of the most influential artists in the visual history of Japanese yōkai. His 1776 illustrated yōkai books transformed creatures from Japanese folklore into recognizable printed images.

MoMA Poster Calendar January 1984

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 19:11:34 +0000

MoMA Poster Calendar January 1984 is designed by Igarashi Takenobu 五十嵐威暢 in 1984. A year has 365 days, and it consists of 622 numerals. Igarashi designed 622 different numerals for each month. He continued this for 7 years, which leaves 4356 numerals in total. The numerals are designed as axonometric three-dimensional forms based on 84 different ideas. He draw almost all numerals by hand with a ruling pen, grid paper, and compass without computers.

Karon Fashion Design Institute Now Accepting New Students カロン洋裁研究所・生徒募集

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 02:16:46 +0000

Karon Fashion Design Institute Now Accepting New Students カロン洋裁研究所生徒募集 is a poster made by Hayakawa Yoshio 早川良雄 in 1951. The female figure is composed in a very geometric and simplified way. The design is modern, and ”Karon Fashion Design Institute Now Accepting New Students” in Japanese, カロン洋裁研究所・生徒募集, is written vertically in　his original font, Kasutori Minchou カストリ明朝. He created posters for Karon Fashion Design Institute because they provided him a room for his office when he started his company. His design is known for a different style from those in Tokyo, which is unique to Osaka.

Japan 亀

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 02:16:06 +0000

Japan 亀 is a poster designed by Nagai Kazumasa 永井一正 for Japan Graphic Design Association in 1988. An extremely decorative turtle is swimming in the spiral-patterned ocean. Patterns on the turtle resemble traditional Japanese patterns. The small scale of the fish emphasizes the bigness of the turtle and its gorgeousness. Japan 亀 was Nagai's first design based on an animal motif after he mostly made geometric designs with rulers and compasses, and it is the initial work of his “LIFE” series in which he pursues coexistence of humans and animals and the diversity and mystery of life.

Message Illustration Poster 2015

メッセージイラストレーションポスタ

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 02:15:16 +0000

This playful, colorful illustration poster was created for the 13th Message Illustration Poster exhibition at Tama Art University. The design features a human-like figure made from overlapping, brightly coloured arrows, which are outlined in thick black lines against a vivid blue background.

Expo ’70: Progress and Harmony for Mankind日本万国博覧会：進歩と調和

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 02:14:54 +0000

This poster has a geometric design with a bold red Expo symbol placed against a dark background, surrounded by radiating golden lines. The theme, “Progress and Harmony for Mankind,” represents Japan’s postwar optimism, technological advancement, and growing international presence.

Burn up, Japan? Burn Out, Japan?

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 02:14:32 +0000

Burn up, Japan? Burn Out, Japan? is a poster made by Matsunaga Shin 松永真 for Japan Graphic Design Association's Poster Exhibition, Japan 2001. The red circle on a white background represents the Japanese flag. The red circle, rising sun, has smudges on the top right, implying it is on fire. Matsunaga questions what Japan's future is going to be at the beginning of the 21st century. The burning sun resembles a meteorite falling toward "Japan" at the corner of the composition, which implies the designer's concern for Japan's future.

日本のタイポグラフィー展 Japanese Typography Exhibition

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 02:14:11 +0000

This is a poster for the “Japanese Typography Exhibition.” The characters depicted on the poster are not actual characters, but rather a design that combines elements of the brush strokes used in Japanese calligraphy, “tome,” “hane,” “harai,” and “ten”, to form a face. The teardrop shape in the upper right represents the form of a calligraphy brush when it first touches the paper, the straight line in the center, resembling the letter “J,” represents the stroke made when the brush is drawn downward, paused, and then released with momentum toward the left, the diagonally curved line in the upper left represents the stroke made when the brush is gently lifted toward the left, and the straight line at the bottom represents the stroke made by moving the brush straight across horizontally and then stopping and lifting it off the paper at the very end.

Fujin Gahō (婦人画報; Illustrated Women's Gazette) Vol#1

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 02:13:44 +0000

First issue of Fujin Gahō, Illustrated Women's Gazette, created by founding novelist Doppo Kunikida, and published by Tokyosha in 1905. Fujin Gahō was a women's monthly magazine series that covered women's high fashion. Production halted in during WW2, but resumed following the war in 1946.

Onitsuka Tiger Advertisement

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 03:38:57 +0000

This is an old advertisement for Onitsuka Tiger sports shoes. The shoe takes up most of the space, so it immediately catches your attention.

Sumo Wrestling Honbasho Poster

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 03:38:06 +0000

This poster shows sumo wrestlers in a traditional Japanese art style. The colors and lettering look very different from the sports posters we usually see today.