Walter Landor’s Little Black Book wasn’t filled with
the names and numbers of the brand
man and legendary
host’s famous party guests—it was a custom guide to the City by
the Bay.
Former Landor designer Sean King guesses the book dates from the
1960s, a time when our San Francisco headquarters floated on the
Bay in a renovated ferryboat, the Klamath.
Each page is distinctly illustrated, customized by a different
designer.
From the book's introduction:
My fellow designers and I have put
together this little black book together so that we might share
with you the pleasures of those sights and tastes of San Francisco
that some of us particularly enjoy. It is by no means conceived as
a complete guide but rather as a personal aid to your enjoying the
city the way we do—perhaps as a momento after you leave.
We hope you’ve enjoyed looking through these pages as much as
we’re sure the dignitaries, movie stars, and our visiting clients
surely loved this beautiful book—and their trips to San
Francisco.
All photography by Michael Friel, Landor.