80s Food Photo Posters

[malcolmjolley]

I took my kid to the doctor's yesterday, and she had a vintage 80s poster of a photograph of a cross section of a green bell pepper attributed to Jon Neubauer "Gourmet Grafiks".

I remember posters like this as ubiquitous in fine restaurants in the early 80s, and I'd like to find out more about this brief trend in food photography and restuarant interior design.

Does anyone share my memories? Or does anyone know more about the genre?

[touaregsand]

I remember the posters. I also remember food posters in general popping up in Mid range to casual places around the same time or shortly after.

A link to more of Neubauer's photos.

[malcolmjolley]

Very cool! Thanks!

[fifi]

Wow, thanks. I remember those posters and others similar to them about then. I think that is what got me into macro photography at the time. Some of those food shots were so close in that they became more of an abstract piece of art. (Not the same photographer.)

[docbrite]

The trend may be coming back. I've not seen posters, but I have seen giant paintings of fruits and vegetables in a number of New Orleans restaurants. (Of course, some people will tell you that New Orleans hasn't made it out of the '80s yet ... )

[fifi]

Welcome to the Society, docbrite! Do you think perhaps those are the same pictures that were there when I lived in the area in the late 70s?

[docbrite]

Well, if so, at least they've been dusted regularly.

[malcolmjolley]

At the time they seemed quite avante-garde, or at least to me as a kid. They're intrinsically linked to new worlds of food opening to me, like carpaccio or penne alla vodka (I remember them in Italian restaurants more than others.)

[Edited for my very previously mangled spelling of "intrinsically".)

Edited April 20, 2005 by malcolmjolley (log)

[touaregsand]

At the time they seemed quite avante-garde, or at least to me as a kid. They're intrsicallt linked to new worlds of food opening to me, like carpaccio or penne alla vodka (I remember them in Italian restaurants more than others.)

←

I think they came about when new worlds of food were opening up to the general public in America. I remember in LA during the early 80's was when French restaurants were beginning to be shunned as fattening and dated. Higher end Italian places seemed to be popping allover the place around here. Puck and his Cal-French. This was when the first wave of LA chef driven places were opening up if I recall correctly.

[malcolmjolley]

Exactly! Pasta was considered a light meal!

[Wayne]

Malcolm.

You may be interested in the following Beyond Burgers segment:

www.cbc.ca/metromorning/beyond_burgers/

The segment on Gourmet Bun has a link to the photographer's

website.

[touaregsand]

Exactly! Pasta was considered a light meal!

←

In retrospect it's pretty hilarious. It coincided with the beef phobia. I already mentioned the French places closing down in LA at the same time.

Now beef is good, carbs are bad and there is a boom of sorts with French bistros.

[Radio7]

Ah yes, I do remember the 'food posters'. Lots of peppers, oranges, sundaes too I think.

I also recall smorgaboard type ones - challah bread or summat.

So funny

Welcome to a great community here docbright

[malcolmjolley]

Malcolm.

You may be interested in the following Beyond Burgers segment:

www.cbc.ca/metromorning/beyond_burgers/

The segment on Gourmet Bun has a link to the photographer's

website.

←

Hey, cool! Thanks, Wayne. Nice to see the tradition is still alive. I'll have to go get a sandwich and check it out!

I always try and catch the Beyond Burgers segments. Anything interesting comming up? (Maybe worth starting a thread in the Toronto forum?)