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 and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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