Cheese Labels: 1950-2010

One of a series of small square books (5.75” x 5.75”, 208 pages) by a Parisian publishing house dedicated to design history. The books let the designs speak for themselves, offering no supporting text, and no discernable organization, simply reproducing artwork from around the world created with marketing in mind. This minor chaos in mind, they’re fascinating to browse.

Cheese Labels 1950-2010 showcases more than 600 different labels, all from northern Europe with the exception of a few Canadian examples. 

Several interesting points stand out, For instance, in many countries, cheeses were marketed as being made in specific regions, rather than simply being “fabrique en France,” emphasizing their connection to regional rather than national traditions.

There are a number of labels in Hebrew, either as the primary text or as supplement, from France, Denmark, and Switzerland at least.

And despite an abundance of folksy figures,  what Americans now call processed cheese food has a presence as well. Chalet fromage fondu au jambon from Switzerland.  Boku banana-flavored cheese from Denmark. Alma brand mushroom cheese from Austria. Norwegian tomato cheese.  And mint cheese, somewhat ambiguously “prepared in England."

Paperback. Color photographs throughout.