ISKOLAI IVÓKUTAK [Report on "School Drinking Fountains"]

[Budapest]: [Imparmüvészeti Vállalat], 1959. Very good plus.. Cold War era proposal for school water fountain designs submitted to the Hungarian Ministry of Culture by Imparmüvészeti Vállalat, a ceramics design firm. Though not a part of the USSR, Hungary was an Eastern Bloc state under deep Soviet influence, its socialist People's Republic government (1949-1989) concurrent with most of the Soviet Union. In keeping with typical Soviet design, the water fountains exhibit a late (and striking) constructivist influence. One photograph depicts a circle of seven fountains, and others designs show circular fountain bowls with multiple spouts; perhaps with the intent of creating a communal water-drinking experience for students. A fascinating intersection of design, education, and politics. Gray bubble-grain cloth album, with design gilt-stamped to front board. Thirteen leaves, mimeographed rectos only with introductory text, followed by seventeen thick card leaves with mounted photographic prints (6.75'' x 5'') depicting sketches of fountains, one photo montage of fountains, and a pasted-in card of color swatches (which has detached); lastly sixteen fold-out blueprints bound in at rear, most about 23'' x 23'', several smaller. Some trivial, small tears; light toning; but overall sharp, clean throughout.