Like most white people, I’ve got a bit of an obsession with turn of the century design aesthetics. Not really sure what you would call that. Rockefellerphilia, perhaps? I’ve got a theory that this obsession stems from a desire to hearken back to a time when white folks thought they were pretty hot shit. All building factories and swirling brandy in oak lined rooms. Can we really blame them for the vast industrialization and domination of every business venture possible and all the irreversible ramifications that came with it? Yes, we can.z
T. J. Stiles’s The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt tells the story of a Staten Island born, steamship building, Abraham Lincoln consulting, business modeling, fist fighting, gambling addicted son having, titan of industry.
Remaining true to the tone of the times, this cover implements the letterpress-style typfaces and embellishments that defined the era. And even goes the whole nine to include a daguerreotype-style image of the powdered wig captain of industry himself. A subtle head-nod to the design of the dollar bill and the pursuit of which he devoted his life to.
