Graphic Design: Front pages pay tribute to the extraordinary Nelson Mandela

Date
6 December 2013

Whatever the future may hold for the printed daily newspaper, there’s still a great deal of interest in how the press marks the death of a figure as significant as Nelson Mandela. On days like today, the old adage that newspapers are the first draft of history really seems to ring true and the designers of the front pages are under pressure to make sure they combine text and imagery in a powerful, respectful and communicative way. The Metro and The Telegraph have both gone for stark, powerful and very sober treatments while The Guardian, The i, The Independent and The Daily Mail carry page one photographs that reflect some of Mandela’s famous good humour with which he tempered his determination and defiance.

The New Yorker’s illustrated cover of Mandela as a young, proud activist sends shivers down the spine, Noma Bar has done an excellent cover for Vrij Nederland and Peter Brookes in The Times has provided what we imagine will be the first of many excellent cartoons on the topic.

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The Metro: Front page December 6 2013

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The Telegraph: Front page December 6 2013

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The Daily Mirror: Front page December 6 2013

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The Times: Front page December 6 2013

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The Independent: Front page December 6 2013

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Vrij Nederland: Front page December 6 2013

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The New Yorker: Front page December 16 2013

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The i: Front page December 6 2013

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The Guardian: Front page December 6 2013

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The Sun: Front page December 6 2013

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The Daily Mail: Front page December 6 2013

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The Evening Standard: Front page December 6 2013

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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