wiedler.ch

book (design) story #172

gilbert keith chesterton:
ein pfeil vom himmel

verlag die schmiede, berlin, 1927
printer: otto wessel, lübeck
size: 19 x 13 cm
designer: georg salter

another great jacket by georg salter (1897-1967) for his brother's publishing company "die schmiede". it's the german translation of "arrow of heaven" by gilbert keith chesterton (1874-1936) – a collection of his popular "father brown" detective stories. the photograph and sans-serif type mark a modernist approach similar to the next book cover (although in a symmetric arrangement). a really clever, modern design idea is the yellow area beneath the title – a flashy imitation belly band! like in the previous cover some letters "bleed". this jacket design was a standardised type used for different books pulished in the same series.

"die schmiede" used two logos: on the title page there is usually a stylized blacksmith with hammer and ambos. the other one is in linocut style showing two blacksmiths rotating in a circle, here on the jacket's flap.