Four into One

The client’s brief was to integrate four Grosvenor House themes:

• Its early history from 1665.
• a celebration of its 20th century transformation into a grand hotel.
• a photographic essay by Nick Danziger focused on today’s cosmopolitan staff and guests.
• the hotel’s enduring status as the meeting place for almost everyone who is anyone since the day it opened.

The publisher’s brief was to be unrestrained in the use of materials to satisfy the client’s desire for a prestigious publication.

To pull these very different stories together a strong framework was required. Consistent borders with prominent Art Deco folios throughout was the answer. By printing the borders, effectively backgrounds to each page, in opulent silver it both emphasised their presence and fulfilled the client’s demand for glamour.

Front and back jacket

The client agreed that as a proper history it was important the first impression should not suggest corporate literature. Thus the image, part of the story, on the front cover.

The hotel’s own archive had just two small 1930s colour brochures. By good fortune they were printed in a wonderfully fuzzy register, evocative of the period. These were the only stars in an otherwise dry collection of faded newspaper cuttings. But access to the Grosvenor family archive, and because of the people and events recorded, a rich supply of relevant images from public sources was guaranteed.

Edwin Lutyen’s view

Over two very full days it became clear why Nick Danziger is so well regarded. Dressed in an everyday suit and tie he used just two small, manual cameras and no flash. His effortless rapport with the hotel staff overcame their self-consciousness. At one point he quietly thanked the four people he had just photographed, each in their own language.

Welcome at Grosvenor House

At first a separate section for Danziger’s pictures was proposed. But once established the strength of the framing format made it acceptable to distribute his images throughout. Far from compromising this enhanced the book’s integrity.

Successfully achieving the large areas of graduated silver was a challenge for the printer. But for renowned Butler, Tanner and Dennis, the eventual outcome was never in doubt.

Two sets of example spreads