Like the covers of other 1950s-era Mentor books, that of New American Library’s 1957 edition of Albert Schweitzer’s Out Of My Life and Thought was designed by Robert Jonas. However, perhaps by virtue of Schweitzer then being still very-much-alive (!), Jonas’ cover is a simple and direct representation of its subject, set against an equally literal background. This is quite unlike Jonas’ typical use of either a limited number of bold, primary colors, or, softly varying hues of the same color, with subjects geometrically arranged and visually simplified within his compositions.
The back cover is devoid of explanatory text – presenting only an endorsement by John H. Holmes of the New York Herald Tribune – instead displaying Erica Anderson’s photograph of Schweitzer…
…which is shown here:
Some Other Things to Read…
Albert Schweitzer, at…
… Albert Schweitzer Papers (Syracuse University Libraries – Special Collections Research Center)
… Vimeo (“1957 documentary produced and directed by Jerome Hill. Cinematography by Erica Anderson. Music by Alec Wilder. Narrated by Burgess Meredith and Fredric March.”)
… ZBW Press Archives (Newspaper Clippings)
Robert Jonas, at…
Mentor Library, at…