Beneath the City Streets by Peter Laurie (Revised edition / Panther, 1979)

When I first acquired this book a few years ago (I literally found it on the street as I recall), I considered it an amusing reminder of the grim extremes of cold war paranoia. Fast forward to 2017 however, and I am somewhat less amused. In fact, I find myself worrying about the likelihood that the government have let all those emergency food dumps go to pot since the Berlin Wall fell, and fearing the day when I might find myself vainly trekking towards one of them with my few remaining possessions stuffed in a bin liner. Oh well, you’ve gotta laugh etc…

Edward Ardizzone

                                             

                                        

Lots of competition but I think my favorite of the classic-era children's book illustrators is Edward Ardizzone, aka Diz. Something about his shading technique, the way he uses the pencil / pen to create a stipple-like effect, is magical.

Pierre Henry (RIP), Nicolas Schoffer and Spatiodynamism

How f---ing cool is that?

"The disk, 'Spatiodynamism', with music 

by PIERRE HENRY, was produced by 

'La Diffusion magnetique sonore'."

Copyright 1963 by Editions du Griffon, 

Neuchatel - Switzerland

Edit: There are currently two Pierre Henry records available for download for only 50 pence each from Trunk Records: 50p Friday

And here's a documentary on PH: The Art of Sounds (2007)