2018 marks 90 years since the first sliced bread product was put on shelves in a small bakery in Chillicothe, Missouri, USA. Throughout the last 90 years the bread industry, as well as society and culture has changed dramatically. ‘Sliced: A History’ is inspired by the ubiquitous phrase; ‘the best thing since sliced bread’, a phrase so often used by people unaware of its origins in the very first sliced bread advert printed in the Constitution-Tribune newspaper on July 7th, 1928.
Sliced: A History explores bread as a product and how it has become the staple food within the economy and society, offering a fascinating insight into a subject we take for granted. Despite being such an important product, it became apparent throughout my research, that the topic had gone unexplored in a typographic design, my book is a beautiful exploration of one of the most important inventions, an invention that has enriched our lives and made many people rich in the process.
The design draws inspiration from the modernist typographic movement, incorporating a nostalgic aesthetic through the use of vintage images and the strikingly bold yellow which references aspects of mid century modernism and sliced bread. By incorporating images of vintage products, advertisements and referencing popular culture increases the appeal of ‘Sliced: A History’ from typographic and graphic design audiences to the much broader audience that the brief required.
The quirky and unique original book aims to explore the ins and outs of sliced bread, the phrases and the products that would have never been made popular without the amazing invention of sliced bread. The book goes right back through the history of bread, exploring before and after the genius invention of Otto Rohwedder. The miraculous inventor would not be the same without the people and places involved in various companies and associated products which makes the story of sliced bread so interesting, such as Chillicothe Baking Company, Wonder Bread and the toaster.
Combining the complex story of sliced bread with the bold and beautiful design language of the modernest typographic treatment through the book, ‘Sliced: A History’ successfully tells the story of how sliced bread came to be and how far it’s come in the 90 years since the genius invention by Otto Rohwedder in Chillicothe, Missouri.
