We’re a pretty satisfied bunch, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t covetous. Sometimes we see things out there that we just must have. Cool Things We Want is an archive of those earthly desires.
We want a copy of this visually stunning new book from New York City’s Standards Manual, which is set to ship in March, 2020. Parks presents “over 300 United States national park maps, ephemera, and brochures spanning over 100 years”, all the way from the National Park system’s 19th century beginnings to its long association with both the Helvetica typeface and legendary designer Massimo Vignelli’s modular “Unigrid” layout.
The images within are sourced from the collection of the book’s creator, Brian Kelley. These are given context by an excellent introductory essay by Lyz Nagan-Powell called From Pictures to Words: Persuasion and the National Parks.
For lovers (and dreamers) of adventure and fans of good design, it looks to be a captivating 384 pages between silk-screened, cloth-wrapped covers. You can pre-order it now for $55 USD.