In appreciation: Paul Bacon

All Paul Bacon’s friends in Salisbury were immensely saddened when we heard that he had died on June 8. But it was his nature to want to make everyone around him enjoy the day, rather than regret it, so he wouldn’t want to hear that he had dampened our spirits; instead let us say that his passing was a joyous release for him, after a long and difficult illness, and we’ll all start smiling with him again now. 

Paul was a good friend of my husband, Bill Binzen, and mine, particularly as he and Bill had so much in common, not least being that they were both World War II veterans. But it was their professional lives that were their strongest link, and this was how we all found out that there was more to Paul than we realized when he first came to visit his friend Jane Cannon in Salisbury.

I announced at Sunday lunch one day that we had a new choir member at St. John’s. Bill said, “That’s nice. What’s his name?” and I said, “Paul Bacon.” And Bill said, “The Paul Bacon?” I said, “What do you mean, The Paul Bacon?” “Well,” said Bill, “there was a fellow called Paul Bacon who was the best book jacket designer in the business all through the 50s and 60s.” “Oh, really?” I said. “I’ll have to ask him.” So I did. After choir practice I said, “Paul, are you The Paul Bacon?” And he admitted that he was a book jacket designer. So ever after, he was known at St. John’s as The Paul Bacon, and even signed his many cards and letters “The.”

Bill was an advertising art director in New York when Paul began to make his name in the design field in the 1950s, and I’ll quote from an article written by Alexandra Alter for Business Day, to show you why an Ogilvy art director would be aware of excellence in a related field: “During a career of more than 50 years, Mr. Bacon designed covers for more than 6,500 books, including ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,’ by Kurt Vonnegut; ‘Ragtime’ by E.L. Doctorow; ‘The Power Broker’ by Robert Caro; ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ by Ken Kesey; ‘The Andromeda Strain’ by Michael Crichton; ‘Jaws’ by Peter Benchley and ‘Shogun’ by James Clavell. He is widely credited with pioneering what is known in the industry as the ‘Big Book Look’ — typically a bold, minimalist design featuring prominent lettering and a small conceptual image. He did all of his designs, including the lettering, by hand.”

Paul’s studios, Paul Bacon Designs Inc., kept expanding, but his last was “the studio of his dreams,” on the 12th floor of Carnegie Hall. In 1973 he moved his studio to his country house in Clintondale, N.Y., until he retired after his wife’s death following a long illness, in 2004.    

A great jazz fan, Paul Bacon actually first established himself in the design field by creating album covers for the Blue Note and Riverside jazz-recording labels. Until quite recently, he performed as the singer — always as an amateur — in a New Orleans-style jazz band called Stanley’s Washboard Kings, which had a regular gig at The Cajun, a restaurant in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. He also sang and played the kazoo with friends in a band on cruise ships, and twice even at Carnegie Hall, besides giving two rousing performances at St. John’s Church. And all members of the HousaTonics remember how much he loved singing with them.

 Jazz was his great love in music, and it was his love of singing all those wonderful songs that got him into trouble as he was walking down Main Street in Salisbury one Sunday morning in springtime. He found Father John Carter standing just outside St. John’s, welcoming people into church service. “Good morning, Paul,” says Father John teasingly, “are you coming to join us this morning?”  “Well, no,” says Paul, “you know I’m not a religious person.” “But you like to sing, don’t you?” says Father John. “Yes — but I don’t read music. And I don’t think I believe in God.” “Perfect!” says Father John. “You belong in the choir! Up you go, and tell Lillie I sent you.” So that was how The Paul Bacon ended up in the choir loft — and loved it so much that before his death he asked his family to hold a service there for him when his time came. 

That service will be held on Saturday, July 25, at 11 a.m., with a reception following, and we hope that all Paul’s many friends in Salisbury will be there with us, to remember him with joy.  

Gaile Binzen

Salisbury