What we’re reading: ‘V&A Pattern’ books with free image CDs

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Twenty years ago, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London put out a series of four books that highlights their collection of pattern designs. This October, it’s reissuing the books with a bonus: each of the curated volumes -- ‘The Fifties,’ ‘Digital Pioneers,’ ‘William Morris,’ and ‘Indian Florals’ -- comes with a CD of all the images from the book tucked into the back cover. The idea is for people to mess around with the images themselves. (Although if you want to sell something you make with them, you’ll have to get approval from V&A beforehand). The patterns in the books are so beautiful and interesting, and thanks to that CD in the back, accessible, that one feels compelled to DO something with them. But what? I asked our resident artist, the Home Section’s page designer Reuben Munoz, for ideas. He said he uses similar books he has at home for design inspiration, and as a background element in collages.

Samples after the jump. If you have more ideas on how to use them, please share.

Below, images from ‘V&A Pattern: The Fifties’

Below: Images from ‘V&A Pattern: William Morris’

--Deborah Netburn