Last week I previewed a splendid book by Prof. Patrick Rössler (Universität Erfurt) in Germany on 1920s-30s illustrated German magazines. Today I bring you another awe-inspiring history of the New Typography, Blicke in den Nachlass Jan Tschichold: Ein Jahrhundrettypograf! (Wallstein Verlag) by Stephanie Jacobs and Rössler. With an introduction by the biographer of Paul Renner, Christopher Burke, the book asks the question: Is Tschichold the “Typographer of the Century?”
Regrettably, you will have to be able to read German to find out the answer, but lack of fluency should not prohibit purchasing the book. A very satisfying bonus aside from the scholarship, are the generous reproductions from Rössler’s enviable personal archive of original sketches and paste-up mechanicals. It is always sobering to see that the great designers of the Modern era used the same processes as we did decades later (and before the computer).
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About Steven Heller
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →