Bridgestone - 1994 Original Poster
Get Away Fast
Produced in 1994, this was Bridgestone USA's second poster. Without question, this
poster - along with Bridgestone's first poster crafted in 1993 - rate among
the finest post war cycling posters made anywhere in the world.
The poster was created by English artist Christopher Wormell. To create the poster, Mr. Wormell carved images into blocks of linoleum, cutting a different block for each color, then printed the image by hand directly onto paper. This particular image was made from seven linoleum blocks, each carefully printed over the next.
When Bridgestone USA closed up in 1994, we were fortunate to be able to acquire multiple examples of this poster. The condition of the posters is excellent. They have been stored flat and out of light since we bought them in the mid-90s. Again, this is the original poster issued in 1994 and measures 24 x 36 inches. Also noteworthy is the fact the poster were printed on a really high quality paper stock, not the typical cheap thin paper found all to often with modern posters. This poster is a wonderful time capsule!
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A Brief History of Bridgestone
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Bridgestone is an enormous multinational company, one of the largest tire companies in the world...and a fairly small bicycle company, with its own factory in Japan. In the late 1980s and early'90s, their U.S. bicycle division was run by Grant Petersen, a brilliant, talented and idiosyncratic designer. Petersen, a hard-core cyclist, marched to a "different drummer" than most of the industry. He introduced many innovations to the market, and also strongly resisted other trends and innovations that he didn't approve of.
There was constant tension between Bridgestone USA and the parent company in Japan. While the bosses realized that Petersen was a very talented designer, he was perhaps a bit too individualistic and eccentric for the corporate culture. There were forces in Japan that wanted to make a more mainstream bike, like everybody else. In the give and take between the divisions, some models went one way, others the other way.
After Bridgestone Japan pulled the plug on Bridgestone USA in 1994, Grant Petersen went on to found Rivendell Bicycles.
The poster was created by English artist Christopher Wormell. To create the poster, Mr. Wormell carved images into blocks of linoleum, cutting a different block for each color, then printed the image by hand directly onto paper. This particular image was made from seven linoleum blocks, each carefully printed over the next.
When Bridgestone USA closed up in 1994, we were fortunate to be able to acquire multiple examples of this poster. The condition of the posters is excellent. They have been stored flat and out of light since we bought them in the mid-90s. Again, this is the original poster issued in 1994 and measures 24 x 36 inches. Also noteworthy is the fact the poster were printed on a really high quality paper stock, not the typical cheap thin paper found all to often with modern posters. This poster is a wonderful time capsule!
_____________________________
A Brief History of Bridgestone
_____________________________
Bridgestone is an enormous multinational company, one of the largest tire companies in the world...and a fairly small bicycle company, with its own factory in Japan. In the late 1980s and early'90s, their U.S. bicycle division was run by Grant Petersen, a brilliant, talented and idiosyncratic designer. Petersen, a hard-core cyclist, marched to a "different drummer" than most of the industry. He introduced many innovations to the market, and also strongly resisted other trends and innovations that he didn't approve of.
There was constant tension between Bridgestone USA and the parent company in Japan. While the bosses realized that Petersen was a very talented designer, he was perhaps a bit too individualistic and eccentric for the corporate culture. There were forces in Japan that wanted to make a more mainstream bike, like everybody else. In the give and take between the divisions, some models went one way, others the other way.
After Bridgestone Japan pulled the plug on Bridgestone USA in 1994, Grant Petersen went on to found Rivendell Bicycles.
| Price | $85.00 |
Shipping Weight: 2.00 (pounds)
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