Vault 49
July 1, 2011
A production-driven studio from the very beginning, Vault49 was conceived in the screen printing room of the London College of Printing, where Jonathan Kenyon and John Glasgow met in their final year of undergraduate studies in Graphic & Media Design in 2002.
The earliest form of Vault49 was as a collaborative print workshop on the Old Kent Road. Their name derives from a hands-on approach to design, with the ‘vault’ being the nickname of the cupboard under the stairs where the printing equipment was stored. The ‘49’ comes from our first location – a student house at 49 Addington Square, London.
The evolution of Vault49 from an ‘office’ in half a student bedroom to their Manhattan studio is the product of obsessive nights of designing, printing, and street art. Jonathan and John covered the streets and alleys of central and east London with their work, being sure to paste next to the door of every design firm and creative magazine.
After one late night/early morning in 2002, Vault49’s work covered the doors and windows of Dazed & Confused magazine forcing them to cut their way into their office the next day. To their credit, Dazed & Confused were good-natured about the intrusion and commissioned a nine-month exhibition in their gallery, and featured Vault49 in their global magazine. Thanks to their support and many more features in some of the most prominent UK design publications, the commissions started to roll in.
Since relocating to New York in 2004, their studio has progressively evolved from two students and a printing workshop to the creative melting pot it is today. Along the way they have created global campaigns for the likes of Samsung and Pepsi, won multiple design awards, and are regularly featured in the finest global design press.
Other collaborations;