Gary Hornseth
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garyhornseth.bsky.social
Gary Hornseth
@garyhornseth.bsky.social
1.4K followers 220 following 2.4K posts
Minnesota ephemerist. History, music, visual arts, a bit of baseball. Work = PR. Posts = else. Also the westerly half of Trademark Issues 🎸
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garyhornseth.bsky.social
Sevilla Santa Justa Station, Spain
Nov. 1, 2025
1:06 pm
An interior view of a train station looking down a set of tracks that recede into the distance along with a set of ceiling arches. Travelers await a train along a platform. Clocks and signage. Grey and silver colors predominate. Image: me
November 14, 2025 at 10:12 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Coin telephone, c. 1960s
Compañía Telefónica Nacional de España

Seen on display last Saturday as part of a numismatics exhibit at the National Archaeological Museum, Madrid
A photo of a wall-mounted pay telephone with a silver exterior, black handset and rotary dial. There is a narrow window into the enclosure that allows viewing of the coins inserted, I presume?
November 14, 2025 at 1:04 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Old telephone sign as tapas bar wall decoration, last Saturday afternoon, Madrid
A round, weathered metal sign reading TELEFONOS in yellow and blue block lettering, below an encircled outline map of Spain and Portugal. Casa Ambrosio Taberna, Madrid
November 12, 2025 at 10:51 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
A minute or so of a pharmacy sign seen last week along a street in Sevilla
November 12, 2025 at 12:45 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
“I think I spent just an afternoon on it.”

An annual repost as the World Series opens: From 2008, writer Paul Lukas (Uni Watch) interviews retired graphic designer Jerry Dior (1932-2015) about his creation of the MLB logo in 1968. ⚾️

Full article: espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/081105
MLB logo Excerpt: UW: What sort of thought process did you go through at the outset of the project? Did you know right away that you'd use a silhouetted image? JD: No, it just came about. UW: Did you know from the start that you wanted to show a human figure, instead of just type or other graphics? JD: No, I just went through some magazines and tried to figure out some ideas. I really don't know how the process worked -- I just did it, y'know? It was fast. I think I spent just an afternoon on it. UW [incredulous]: The whole thing took one afternoon? JD: Yeah. Excerpt: UW: Did Major League Baseball accept the logo pretty much as you designed it, or did they ask you to make adjustments? JD: Nope, no adjustments. I cleaned it up and that was it. UW: What do you mean "cleaned it up"? JD: You tighten it up so it can be reproduced. What I had originally created was just a Magic Marker sketch. UW [incredulous again]: The original version that you created in one afternoon, and that was presented to Major League Baseball, was rendered in Magic Marker? JD: Right.
October 25, 2025 at 12:09 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
(2) More push-pull plate images, credits as above.
Plates reading push and pull Plates reading push and pull with cross-hatch patterns Handles reading push and pull
October 18, 2025 at 5:10 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Array of push-pull plates
from: “Tubelite Aluminum Entrances”
Trade catalog
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.
1960

Image: Association for Preservation Technology via @archive.org; archive.org/details/pitt...
A two-page catalog spread headed “Unlimited Tubelite®️ Multi-Insert Push-Pull Plates.” It shows illustrations of 17 different varieties of door-mounted, metal push-pull plates in vertical and horizontal orientations. Some simply say “Push” or “Pull,” some have decorative motifs suggesting a pharmacy, medical office or night club. Some feature cross-hatch patterns in red or black. Copy: The above are just a few of the many custom designs possible. Also available in solid colored Vinyl Plastic surfaces in the following colors. Metal Green Cordovan Red Ebony Blue Dark Mahogany Blizzard Grey Bronco Brown
October 18, 2025 at 5:06 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Three advertising drawings
Alcoa Aluminum, Pittsburgh
1936-1937

American Architect & Building News
Artist: Lurelle Guild (1898-1985); en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurelle...

Images: US Modernist Collection via @archive.org; archive.org/details/usmo...
April 1937 A black-and-white drawing from a second-floor view looking down to a retail storefront with a shop window with goods on display on a table, and a large letter M overhead. Accompanying ad copy: BEST FOOT FORWARD It is not a new discovery that the commercial facade attracts more business with Beauty. Not new either, but becoming more widely realized, is the discovery that the exceptional versatility of Alcoa Aluminum and the glory of its lustrous surface offer unlimited scope to the designer. Especially to him who seeks to embody elegance without extravagance. Practical things to remember are that Alcoa Aluminum is available in the form of sheets, shapes, and castings; that special extrusions are economical answers to individuality; that standard extrusions may be ingeniously used for achieving interesting detail; that the Alumilite finish heightens Aluminum's natural resistance to corrosion; that ease of fabrication promises appropriately economical finished cost; that our experienced engineers are available for consultation. Aluminum Company of America, 2195 Gulf Building, Pittsburgh, Pa. November 1936 A black-and-white drawing with a view from an upper floor looking down into the lobby of a sleek commercial building. Two revolving doors lead to two escalators. An ornate globe scene adorns the front window. Two retail shops are seen, one signed PARFUM. Accompanying ad copy: ECONOMY WITH BEAUTY The beauty of the many lustrous surfaces of Aluminum needs no fanfare. The economy of Aluminum as a general-purpose architectural material is equally evident. All forms of Aluminum are easy to fabricate, to handle, to erect. There can be no streaking or staining of adjoining surface. A wide variety of finishes may be used to obtain your most cherished decorative effects. Alcoa Aluminum gives real economy in first cost, real economy in upkeep. No accident is this wedding of economy with beauty. Architectural requirements as to form and shape and finish have been a major program with us for many years. We think you would find discussion with one of our engineers highly profitable. Aluminum Company of America, 2195 Gulf Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania September 1937 A black-and-white view from above of a house. Accompanying ad copy: LETS LOOK INTO THE REAL COST OF WINDOWS A price is quoted on “Windows.” Is that the final cost, or must a lot of extras be added to get their true cost; labor for assembling knocked-down parts, weather stripping, paint and more labor, and so on? Many builders are saving money by knowing the truth. Only the cost of setting Aluminum windows need usually be added to the figure quoted. Price differentials are, therefore, often equalized when costs are compared on a completely installed basis. With Aluminum windows, less maintenance is required. Because Aluminum is so resistant to weather, they retain their attractive appearance without the frequent painting and repainting required by other windows; they never warp, swell, rust or rot. Property owners are spared much of the upkeep expense ordinarily expected. Aluminum windows are fabricated from extruded shapes like those shown on this page. Designed especially for window construction, these shapes utilize every ounce of metal to best advantage, giving maximum strength with minimum weight and cross section. They account for the reasonable cost of Aluminum windows. We do not manufacture windows, but supply Alcoa extruded shapes to many well known window manufacturers. They have developed individual types of construction, and will gladly give you detailed information on windows of their own design. Aluminum Company of America, 2195 Gulf Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
October 5, 2025 at 3:09 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
(2) An Armstrong factory image from the same catalog, credits as above.
A factory scene showing workers operating a large linoleum press. The workers are seen on three different floors as what looks a single sheet of linoleum, with a tan and reddish-brown checkerboard pattern, threads its way through the press. “This giant rotary press at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, produces Armstrong's Straight Line Inlaid Linoleum. Standing three stories high, it is so controlled and synchronized that it operates with the precision of a fine instrument.”
September 21, 2025 at 10:20 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Four linoleum samples
Pattern book, Armstrong Cork Co.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
1948

Images: Association for Preservation Technology (APT) Collection via @archive.org; archive.org/details/Arms...
A deep red, marble-looking background with small clusters of light and dark rectangles. Catalog description “ARMSTRONG'S STRAIGHT LINE INLAID LINOLEUM No. 0540 Standard Gauge Two features of this pattern-its crisp, small-scale design and its wine-red, black, plain white, and willow green color scheme —recommend it for use in kitchens, baths, and halls. And, thanks to the strong background marblization, this pattern is practical also for shops, clubs, restaurants, and small stores.” A sandy beige background with right-angled stripes and rectangles in various colors. Catalog description “ARMSTRONG'S EMBOSSED INLAID LINOLEUM No. 5340 Standard Gauge A contrasting background in shades of brown, tan, and beige emphasizes the colorful tiles and accent lines of this handsome pattern. The multiplane embossing serves further to heighten the effect of the design. Streamline embossing keeps dirt from collecting in the depressed areas. This pattern is especially practical for residential use.” A light background containing monochrome squares with smaller squares and rectangles of bright color atop them. Catalog description “ARMSTRONG'S EMBOSSED INLAID LINOLEUM No. 5341 Standard Gauge Mottled shades of ivory, gray, and black are combined to give a distinctive appearance to the background of this modern tile pattern. An intriguing interplay of rectangular color accents in Chinese red, goldenrod yellow, and willow green adds a bright touch to the floor and makes it excellent for kitchens and bathrooms.” A deep blue/grey background with an array of rectangles containing curved lines and a few wheel-looking shapes within. Catalog description “ARMSTRONG'S EMBOSSED INLAID LINOLEUM No. 5740 Standard Gauge This richly decorative embossed pattern draws its inspiration from the fine sculptured fabrics that are so popular today. Featuring muted tones of blue, this design provides a smart floor not only for living rooms, halls, bedrooms, dens, and other rooms in the home but also for smart shops and stores.”
September 21, 2025 at 10:09 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
(2) One more cool image from the catalog. Source credit as above.
Illustration of a serene-looking interior scene. View is about 10 feet away from closed set of elevator doors made of glass panels and greenish metal or wood. The doors are set into stone-tiled walls. Light streams from a skylight, presumably, casting a warm glow on the elevator doors and a few patches of light on the stone-tiled floors. A clock-like dial indicator on the wall above the doors has floor numbers from 1 to 16 in a circle, with the arrow pointing between the two and three.
September 10, 2025 at 3:14 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Trade catalog illustrations
“Elevator Cars / Elevator Entrances”
The Tyler Company
Cleveland, Ohio
1927

These images (and many more): Association for Preservation Technology via @archive.org; archive.org/details/Elev...
An outside-in illustration of an empty, bright red, wood-paneled elevator car with a checkerboard, black and white floor, gold trim around the top and what looks to be an ornate, gold-tinted skylight ceiling with a detailed design applied. An inside-out illustration of an elevator car with light blue-gray panels and gold stripe details running vertically from ceiling to floor, and a gold-colored ceiling. The floor is a checkerboard tan and brown tile. The view out the door of the elevator looks to a hallway with a wood and glass door and a small potted plant visible. An inside-out view of an elevator car wood-paneled in a sort of sage green. The border of the ceiling has some red, black and gold accents and the floor is a checkerboard, brownish-red and white pattern. The ceiling is light yellow. Light spills into the car from the corridor, just a sliver of which can be seen. An inside-out view of an elevator car paneled in dark wood with the door open and looking straight out to a bright scene of marble walls, stone columns and an archway, and large draperies — suggesting a museum, library, cathedral, theater or some other ornate public building. The floor is tiled in a dark green and red diamond pattern. There is a black, red and gold border near the ceiling, and the ceiling itself is light yellow.
September 10, 2025 at 2:45 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Trade publication cover
Master Builders Company
Cleveland, Ohio
1928

Image: Association for Preservation Technology via @archive.org: archive.org/details/Plai...
A textured cover with a dark background, blank except for an upper-half title in white all-lowercase text reading “plain talk about concrete floors”. The title is contained within a white, mostly rectangular boundary with little notches at the corners and a curved lower line. Someone appears to have underlined “concrete floors,” perhaps with a pencil.
September 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Image, 1965 Annual Report
The Dayton Co.
Minneapolis, Minn.

Image: Fund and Stock Reports Collection via @archive.org; archive.org/details/01-t...
Color image looking down a of a row of Target checkout aisles, with customers and clerks within them. The aisles are numbered 12-17 with what look like lit signs, each with a store logo. Impulse purchase items are on adjacent displays, can’t really tell what they are except for a display of color-change sunglasses. A handful of shoppers are seen bearing impassive expressions. No one looks directly at the camera. The image blurs into the distance.
September 6, 2025 at 3:41 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Three illustrations of a fictitious United American Food Co. from “Plant Conditioning,” a promotional booklet about industrial paint

Sherwin-Williams Co.
Cleveland, Ohio
1936
Harry Harringer, artist

Source: Association for Preservation Technology via @archive.org; archive.org/details/Sten...
Drawing of an exterior factory/warehouse scene. In the foreground is a large truck/trailer labeled United American Food Company. Various products are depicted on the truck exterior. Colors of the fictitious company’s brand are two shades of green and a dark red. These images were reprinted in the booklet having appeared originally in the January 1935 issue of Modern Packaging magazine. Illustration in the same color scheme of a large packaging room in a factory. Workers are attending to various hoppers, machines and assembly line positions. One in the foreground is loading cans or jars into a box. An illustration of food packages arrayed in an elaborate, multi-level display. Same color scheme.
September 5, 2025 at 1:46 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
September 2, 2025 at 2:22 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
A website that lets you select a country or state and move it around a Mercator projection map to yield better size comparisons.

thetruesize.com, created by James Talmage and Damon Maneice
Five rescaled maps of Minnesota on a Mercator projection map, covering 1) a large part of northern Greenland, 2) a large part of northern Scandinavia, 3) a part of central Europe, 4) a region of southern India, 5) a region of southeastern Australia.
August 30, 2025 at 11:34 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Cover, catalog for fall planting
Holm & Olson, Inc.
St. Paul, Minn.
1939

Source: Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection of the National Agricultural Library via @archive.org; archive.org/details/CAT3...
A light beige, vertically oriented cover with a light blue vertical bar along the left hand side with reversed-out illustration of three flowers, stems and leaves What looks like hand-lettered text, in maroon: BULBS AND PLANTS For Fall Planting 1939 HOLM & OLSON Saint Paul, Minnesota
August 30, 2025 at 2:46 PM
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Los Lobos, a national treasure, under the stars earlier on a perfect night at the Minnesota State Fair
Distant photo of Los Lobos performing on the Minnesota State Fair Bandshell Stage with the scene bathed in red light, large crowd and view bordered by trees. Flagpole.
August 27, 2025 at 3:35 AM
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Backlit syrups
Creative Activities Building
Minnesota State Fair
About 125 bottles of maple syrup neatly arranged in five rows on shelves behind glass, lit from behind through a translucent back wall. The syrups range in color from light golds to deeper ambers and dark browns. The display is sponsored by the Minnesota Maple Syrup Producers Association.
August 27, 2025 at 1:33 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Annual photo, painted floor sign, Creative Activities Building, Minnesota State Fair
Two overlapping triangles painted on a concrete floor, the larger triangle in white underneath a smaller triangle in red, with points aligned to indicate exit direction to the viewer’s left. The red triangle contains the word EXIT in white block letters. The paint is worn or chipped away in places. There are several other floor signs like this around the building. At least one of them is worn to the point that the white triangle is very faint and only traces if the red triangle remain. I believe the building dates to 1971 — perhaps they were painted then.
August 27, 2025 at 1:12 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
(2) 7:42 a.m.
Looking up at the two levels of curving red tracks, surrounding metal framework and decorative light posts of not-yet-open-for-the-day rollercoaster against cloudless bright blue sky, Minnesota State Fair
August 23, 2025 at 10:21 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
8:41 a.m.
Top portion of not-yet-open-for-the-day Ferris wheel ride showing spoke framework, four empty green cars and five empty red cars against cloudless bright blue sky, Minnesota State Fair
August 23, 2025 at 2:03 PM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
Travel poster, Swedish Air Lines
c. 1935
Anders Beckman (1907-1967), artist

Image: Digital Transportation Archive Collection via @archive.org; archive.org/details/1935...
A vertically oriented poster. Illustration is a mid-air view of a stylized commercial passenger airplane in flight, from a near perspective outside of the front of the plane. The front portion of the plane is visible, including a couple of engines with propellers, front wheels and a few windows. The plane is colored a sort of purplish-blue and the interior as seen through the windows glows yellow. Some crew and passengers can be seen. Below the plane is an airfield with a hangars, runways, some planes and some groups of people. Text along the bottom reads AEROTRANSPORT SWEDISH AIR. Artist name Beckman in small letters near bottom right.
August 22, 2025 at 12:28 AM
garyhornseth.bsky.social
July 24, 1903: Ad, Minneapolis Daily Times
TALK TO DULUTH Over the new connecting lines of the TWIN CITY TELEPHONE CO. RATES FROM MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL: DAY 40 cents 3 mlnutes 10 cts each additional minute NIGHT 25 cents 3 minutes 5¢ each additional minute
July 25, 2025 at 1:57 AM