Tributes to Paul Giambarba
There have been some wonderful tributes to Paul as a mentor and friend.
If you would like to leave one, please use the form at the bottom of the page.
BRIAN FIES
Brian Fies (of The Last Mechanical Monster. A Fire Story. Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? Mom's Cancer.) wrote a beautiful tribute here:
Paul Giambarba and Brian Fies
RHIANNON ADAMS
Rhiannon Adams, a photographic artist based in the UK and US wrote this beautiful post on her website (link below):
Paul Giambarba you will be so missed. I remember the first time we were ever in contact, I was 23… he wrote to me to ask if he could feature some of my Polaroids on his blog. I remember feeling so flattered that I would even be on his radar. This man was a legend - the man who made the Polaroid brand what it was, aesthetically. We have him to thank for the Polaroid rainbow, a logo ‘trope’ that then later made its way to the early Instagram logo and so many others… Apple, anyone? he was a genius, the branding master. Essentially, the creator of Polaroid’s face - literally, metaphorically.
When I was writing my Polaroid book, I was in touch with him a lot, and managed to get some of his early Polavision packaging sketches in, and a page about him and his visionary graphic design work. My way of saying thank you for the friendship… I spent Halloween with him and his wife Fran in Cape Cod as we rifled through his shelves and folders, looking for traces of Polaroid work, a day punctuated by knocks on the door and the dissemination of sweets. My first American Halloween. A memorable one. Paul and Fran felt like the grandparents I so missed.
For years we’ve been in touch, and it always felt comforting knowing this kind man was out there somewhere. Always sending words of encouragement, and never forgetting my birthday… he was such an inspiration to me and to so many. And his influence on my life is hard to fathom - Polaroid wouldn’t have been what it was without him, and my existence might have looked very different if it hadn’t have been what it was. Would it even have been successful without the iconic branding? But aside from his Polaroid work, he was a multitalented and prolific author and illustrator and shared my deep love of lighthouses. I always trust a person who loves the metaphorical stoicism of a lighthouse…
Paul, my hero, I’ll miss you so much.
I’ll leave you with a photo I took of him at the dining table at his and Fran’s house… a place where we sat, ate delicious food, drank wine, and spent time chatting about nothing in particular, but being engulfed in their warmth. That picture has been on my website for years and I’m sure no one knew who this was, and now you do.
Much love to all of the family and Paul’s extensive network of friends. They don’t make many like Paul, and I’m truly lucky to have known him. He watched me grow up, albeit from afar… and his early words of encouragement helped set me on this path that I’m now on. Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that cause the biggest waves.
Rhiannon Adam
Paul Giambarba by Rhiannon Adam