Steven Heller Revisits 'The Magic Box,' a 1970 Psychedelic Trickster Book
In 1970, Harper & Row released The Rainbow Box, a four-volume collection by Joseph Pintauro (b. 1930), illustrated by Norman Laliberté (b. 1925). The set includes The Peace Box, The Rabbit Box, The Magic Box, and A Box of Sun, delving into concepts like time, love, peace, and magic, with an initial print run of 15,000 copies. Pintauro, who was once a Catholic priest, worked alongside Sister Corita Kent in the late 1960s on faith-related books. Critics have characterized the series as both dark and hopeful, reflecting the societal issues of the 1960s, such as the Vietnam War. The volumes feature a handmade aesthetic with hand-lettered text, and Steven Heller highlighted their connection to the psychedelic culture of the era and themes of death and rebirth.
Key facts
- The Rainbow Box was a four-book boxed set published by Harper & Row in 1970
- Joseph Pintauro (b. 1930) wrote the series; Norman Laliberté (b. 1925) illustrated and designed it
- The four titles were The Peace Box, The Rabbit Box, The Magic Box and A Box of Sun
- The original edition numbered 15,000 copies
- Pintauro was a former Catholic priest, poet and playwright who worked at Young & Rubicam
- In the late 1960s Pintauro collaborated with Sister Corita Kent on a trilogy about belief in Things, God and Man
- The Magic Box uses ragged press type and hand-lettered text for a handmade look
- Steven Heller first wrote about the book in 2014 and revisited it in the Daily Heller column for PRINT Magazine
Entities
Artists
- Joseph Pintauro
- Norman Laliberté
- Sister Corita Kent
- Steven Heller
Institutions
- Harper & Row
- Young & Rubicam
- PRINT Magazine
Locations
- United States