[Rarebooks] FS: Tschichold, An Illustrated History of Writing and Lettering

[Karen Howell]

Offered today:

Jan Tschichold (1902-1974).

An Illustrated History of Writing and Lettering.

Tall 8vo.  10 x 7 inches.  18 pp., 70 black-and-white plates, [2] pp.  Text includes a "Pedigree of the European Styles of Writing" in chart format, 70 captioned black-and-white plates; text clean, unmarked.  Blue paper over boards, printed paper spine label, dust-jacket in archival mylar; binding square and tight.  Ownership signature of John Ben Tompsett on the front panel of the jacket.  Fine. 

This book takes us from ancient Egypt and Crete through to the present day in a survey that discusses tools and materials that determined the forms of letters.  Jan Tschichold was born in Leipzig, the son of a provincial sign-writer, trained in calligraphy.  In 1933, he was persecuted by the Nazi regime "for the protection of the German people," but managed to escape to Switzerland.  In the 1920s, Tschichold became a leading advocate of Modernist design, condemning all typefaces but sans-serif and promoting non-centered design, especially on title pages, in his book "Die neue Typographie" (1928).  During the 1940s, Tschichold spend a lot of time in England, and he reevaluated his commitment to Modernist design.  This book is a result of his later thinking on typography and lettering. 

$ 50

Postage: $ 3.50 Media Mail within the Continental US.  International shipping or priority mail at cost.

Terms of Sale: CWO, Credit Card or PayPal accepted. Returns accepted with advance notice, within 10 days of receipt. Reciprocal trade courtesies extended.


John Howell, ABAA, ILAB, IOBA

www.johnhowellforbooks.com

310 367-9720