The National Parks Service has always inspired a vision of wonder for nature. Publisher Standards Manual returns with a brilliant green second edition of their first book, Parks, an anthem to graphic design in collaboration with photographer Brian Kelley, now in its fifth reprint. Parks 2 includes over 300 passages, interviews, pictures, and pamphlets, a comprehensive assortment of the often overlooked literature and structure of a storied part of American graphic design history. It celebrates the forgotten work that the Parks Service has been doings since it’s inception in 1916.
Kelley quickly realized his work wasn’t complete with the first edition. Drawn to the iconic pamphlets, maps, and vintage brochures released by the Park Service, they serve as lasting reminders of what the type, style, and design inclinations were in each subsequent decade. Parks 2 builds on this, adding even more context for the design that was popular at the time of release.
The National Park System in the United States now comprises more than 400 areas covering more than 84 million acres in 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands. While these lands were occupied with native peoples beforehand, protecting and tending to the land, these acres are now set aside for a similar purpose, for the public to enjoy.
Full of historical accounts and vintage letterhead, Parks 2 pays homage to the park system that has inspired so many to foster their love for nature. With written works from Chris Burkard, Alex Honnold, Forrest Shearer, Ashima Shiraishi, Leah Thomas, Lilly Smith, and Brian Kelley himself, they serve to illustrate a vision of the world that cannot be captured on camera. The juxtaposition of pop art, historical reproduction, and essay makes for a cohesive picture of what made the department what it is today: an appeal to the people in nature’s name.
![Open book displaying a page with a vintage-style poster reading "Hawaii Volcanos [sic] Park Hawaii" in pink and white, and another page with a "Great Sand Dunes" poster in sepia tones.](https://design-milk.com/images/2024/12/Parks-2-Standards-Manual-4-810x540.jpg)
Standards Manual is a 2014 independent publisher founded by New York-based designers Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth. The Standards Manual store in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is the only graphic design bookstore in New York, specializing in new and vintage books on the subject. Parks 2 is the fifteenth title released by Standards Manual, and is available for purchase on their website.
To learn more about Parks 2 from Standards Manual, click here. For more of Brian Kelley’s work, please click here.
