book (design) story #330
richard katz:
leid in der stadt
eugen rentsch, erlenbach-zürich / leipzig, 1938
printer: buchdruckerei effingerhof, brugg
size: 22 x 15 cm
designer: pierre gauchat (jacket + cover)
in the 1920s, richard katz (1888-1968) was one of germany's most successful travel writers. like many other jewish authors he emigrated in 1933: first to switzerland, later to brazil. his last years he lived again in southern switzerland.
"leid in der stadt" (agony in the city) is an autobiographical story about a media man who is (literally) sick of his busy life in the dirty big city: after a heart attack he retires to the countryside. in the late 1920s katz had been working for the ullstein publishing house in berlin.
the book was published in 1938 by eugen rentsch in erlenbach/zürich.
the jacket and cover is by pierre gauchat (1902-1956), a swiss graphic artist who designed in both modernist and traditional styles, see stories 151) and 297). the almost photorealistic jacket drawing shows a wooden fence with the title written in blood-like paint – the fence refers to a key scene in the book.
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