Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Eskilson, Stephen

Titel

Active Literature: Jan Tschichold and New Typography/Jan Tschichold, Designer: The Penguin Years/Jan Tschichold: Posters of the Avantgarde/Jan Tschichold: Master Typographer: His Life, Work & Legacy

Ist Teil von

• Design and culture, 2010-11, Vol.2 (3), p.355-359

Erscheinungsjahr

2010

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Presents one general review of four books about the German graphic designer Jan Tschichold. Review of the book 'Active Literature: Jan Tschichold and New Typography' by Christopher Burke (Hyphen, 2007). 335pp. Also, review of the book 'Jan Tschichold, Designer: The Penguin Years' by Richard B. Doubleday (Oak Knoll Press/Lund Humphries, 2006). 218pp. Also, review of the book 'Jan Tschichold: Posters of the Avantgarde' by Martijn F. Le Coultre and Alston W. Purvis (Birkhauser, 2007). 237pp. Also, review of the book 'Jan Tschichold: Master Typographer: His Life, Work & Legacy' by Cees W. de Jong, Alston W. Purvis, Martijn F. Le Coultre, Richard B. Doubleday and Hans Reichardt (Thames & Hudson, 2008). 351pp. 'Active Literature' offers an overview of the German graphic designer Jan Tschichold's (1902-1974) varied roles in devising and disseminating the new typography from the Weimar era to the 1940s. Looks at Tschichold's impact on Eastern European and Italian type, although the review notes that the book privileges comprehensiveness over narrative. 'The Penguin Years' discusses Tschichold's work at Penguin Books during 1947-1949, attempting to turn around its decline. Review notes that whilst not the most interesting phase of Tschichold's career, the book guides readers ably through this period. Explains Penguin's history and Tschichold's book design background in Switzerland, but does not make enough of his achievements in democratizing such design. 'Posters of the Avantgarde' evaluates Tschichold's poster designs, especially his late 1920s work for the Phoebus-Palast cinema. Contains an abundance of visual material, although the review notes that its authors present too much uncritical admiration for the designer's work. 'Master Typographer' provides an overview of Tschichold, but the review notes that it does not offer any new information or interpretation, and seems driven more by the desire to publish certain collections of the designer's work. Contains a high number of personal photographs and is more of a celebratory work. (Quotes from original text)