New World Primer by Julien Cornell, 1947 [Alvin Lustig]

New World Primer by Julien Cornell, 1st ed., 1947. James Laughlin, New Directions Books, New York City, USA. Printed in the USA. Design and typography by Alvin Lustig.

Cornell’s criticism of the United Nations is contained in the summary and feels timely: ”An understanding of the problems discussed in this book is necessary to the survival of the human race. Cornell faces the fact that man now possesses the means to destroy himself and appears likely to use it. World organization is no longer an idealist’s dream; it is an immediate practical necessity. He exposes widespread illusions about the nature of war and peace, and demonstrates that the fetish of national sovereignty dooms the United Nations to failure unless its structure is radically improved.”

A rare dust jacket design by Lustig — who first read the text to get a sense of the author’s ideas, before translating them into his own graphic vocabulary. In this design, he modernized and juxtaposed symbols of peace: the dove with a blood splattered eye, olive branch and abstract tree (or flag pole) carrying the simplified globe or flag; perhaps a new, utopian symbol for the real world government which Cornell discussed. 

The publisher James Laughlin said: “I often wish that Lustig had chosen to be a painter. It is sad to think that so many of his designs must live in hiding on the sides of books on shelves.” Lustig was completely blind by age 39 and died at age 40 in 1955 from diabetes.

A fine hardcover cloth in an original, nearly fine, unclipped ($2.00) Alvin Lustig dust jacket. With lightly foxed edges, two small tears to the top and back and a tiny chip with paper loss. Well preserved after all these years!