The first book published by Penguin, Ariel by André Maurois. Ariel: Edward Young 1935. © Penguin.

Paul Fitzpatrick made his to the V&A to take in this vast retrospective...

It's 70 years since the first Penguin book was published. To mark the anniversary the Victoria and Albert Museum has a display of some 500 iconic book covers from the Penguin archives.

The exhibition, on until November 13 2005, traces the development and changes in design of the paperbacks since their inception.

So the story goes, Penguin's founder Allen Lane had the original idea while waiting for a train. Struck by the lack of affordable books available on the station platform he made it his aim to provide good reading at the best possible price. Two years later Penguin had sold 3 million books.

"The anniversary gives us the opportunity to look back on the wealth of writing which has been published through the decades," says Helen Fraser MD of Penguin Publishing, "but also showcase new work by today's top writers."

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, courtesy Penguin.

The growing importance of graphic and type design was reflected in Penguin's use of artists such as Eric Gill. Initially the covers were colour coded (orange for fiction, green for crime and blue for biography) and the first 10 titles included works by Ernest Hemingway and Agatha Christie.

Since then Penguin has produced thousands of titles. Many, such as George Orwell's 1984, have stayed in print for decades and had several cover designs.

The exhibition shows Penguin's skill in reflecting the spirit of the times. The run up to the Second World War saw the appearance of Penguin Specials such as 'I was Hitler's Prisoner'. Political in tone, these were published in response to the sense of urgency felt at the time.

As time goes on things steadily become more colourful. By the mid '60s designers were using a mix of comic art, collage and photography to herald a new phase in Penguin designs. Pop stars and actors make an appearance, such as Michael Caine on the cover of Len Deighton's Funeral in Berlin.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, courtesy Penguin.

The show displays a number of memorable book covers. Two standouts are the pop art cover of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange and the stark monochrome design of James Joyce’s Ulysses.

By the 90s, with the aid of the Apple Mac, Penguin's cover designs took another turn. Nick Cave’s And the Ass Saw the Angel brought graffiti artist Banksy on board to create an eye-catching design.

A quirky little display shows the evolution of the Penguin logo. In contrast to the upstanding figure of today the little bird looks a bit worse for wear after a night out on the tiles.

The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore. Courtesy Penguin.

Also on show are 70 Pocket Penguins. Produced to tie in with this year’s birthday celebrations they showcase the work of wide-ranging authors from Franz Kafka to Jamie Oliver. Gathered in one place the covers show an impressive array of contemporary design talent.

An enjoyable exhibition, it's fascinating to look not only into the evolution of book design, but into the influences that have shaped it over time. Today the Penguin design appears on t-shirts and coffee mugs but Penguin at 70 is a reminder of the riches Penguin books have given to our cultural life.

"Allen Lane's vision 70 years ago was a democratic one: to make great writing available for all," says Helen Fraser. "This is what Penguin strives to achieve today, and will in the future."