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Max’s Kansas City logo (1965–1981)

Contributed by Daniel Swan on Aug 11th, 2021. Artwork published in
circa 1965
.
    Max’s Kansas City logo (1965–1981) 1
    Source: www.rollingstone.com Bob Gruen / Rolling Stone. License: All Rights Reserved.

    The logo of Max’s Kansas City uses all-lowercase Windsor. Despite some small differences in the rendition for the sign, the typeface’s distinguishing features like the a’s round belly or the sloping stems in m and n were preserved.

    From Wikipedia:

    Max’s Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City [see Google Street View], which became a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. It was opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933–1983) in December 1965 and closed in 1981.

    Artists that frequented the establishment included the Velvet Underground, Aerosmith, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper. Years later Yvonne Sewall-Ruskin, the widow of Max’s founder Mickey Ruskin, would write a book based on the club entitled High On Rebellion it was also featured as a playable level in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

    April 1978 ad.
    Source: www.flickr.com Image courtesy: Steve Berman Collection. License: All Rights Reserved.

    April 1978 ad.

    March 1980 ad.
    Source: www.flickr.com Image courtesy: Steve Berman Collection. License: All Rights Reserved.

    March 1980 ad.

    Feb/Mar 1981 ad.
    Source: www.flickr.com Uploaded to Flickr by Tom Wirt. License: All Rights Reserved.

    Feb/Mar 1981 ad.

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    • Windsor

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    1 Comment on “Max’s Kansas City logo (1965–1981)”

    1. Thanks, Daniel!

      The use of Windsor by Max’s Kansas City was referenced and expanded upon numerous times, for example in the cover design of Max’s Kansas City Stories by Tony Weinberger from 1971:

      Image uploaded to Flickr by Bryan (nycdreaming). All rights reserved.

      The club’s facade with the iconic logo can be seen on the cover of a live album by the Velvet Underground, released in 1972. It was designed by Richard Mantel, featuring photography by Fred Lombardi and illustration by Doug Johnson:

      Image uploaded to Flickr by John Keogh (CC-BY-NC).

      In 1976, Ram Records issued a compilation featuring acts associated with Max’s Kansas City. The cover shows the same photograph by Bob Gruen as pictured above. It was taken on September, 5, 1976 and includes Peter Crowley, Cherry Vanilla, Jayne County, Suicide, Alan Vega, John Collins band, Pere Ubu. A second volume followed a year later.

      Image uploaded to Flickr by Jussi (nesster). CC-BY-SA.

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