91 Vintage Book Covers Brought to Life with Mesmerizing Animations

Vintage Book Cover Design

Digital artist Henning M. Lederer brings vintage book cover design to life through his ambitious ongoing animation project. The endeavor transforms science-themed textbooks from the mid-20th century and sets them into mesmerizing motion. Their imagery is abstract—comprising mostly of bold colors, geometric shapes, and easily-recognizable symbols—making them the perfect candidate for this type of treatment. Lederer then shifts, fractures, and twists the different compositional elements in both large and small movements; some are subtle while others will immediately capture your eye. Either way, the results will hypnotize you.

Lederer began this creative undertaking in 2015. Back then, he sourced 55 books through the Instagram account @montagueprojects, which curates these striking covers into one scrollable mobile gallery. Building on that impressive start, Lederer has recently finished a series of 36 more books that range from Non-Freudian Personality Theories to Elementary Statistical Methods. Although the subject matter could be described as “dry,” the designs and subsequent animations make them dynamic and exciting.

Scroll down to watch both of Lederer's handiwork.

Digital artist Henning M. Lederer transforms abstract book covers into spinning, shifting, and fractured animations.

Vintage Book Cover Design

Since 2015, he's transformed nearly 100 vintage science books into hypnotic works of art.

Abstract Book Covers

Abstract Book Covers

Watch the entire collection in the videos below.

Henning M. Lederer: Website | Vimeo
h/t: [Open Culture, Faith as Torment]

All images via Henning M. Lederer.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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