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book (design) story #334

walter bosshard:
gefahrenherd der welt

büchergilde gutenberg, zürich, 1954
printer: unionsdruckerei, bern
size: 21 x 14 cm
designer: robert s. gessner

walter bosshard (1892-1975) was a swiss pioneer of photo journalism. before an accident in 1953 ended his professional career he had worked as a correspondent in the middle east for the swiss newspaper nzz. this book ("source of danger for the world") is about the political problems in the middle east – sounds familiar today...

the büchergilde gutenberg zürich was proud of their high quality book designs which covered traditional and modernist styles. this flashy photomontage jacket and cover with fiery colours and torn typewriter messages was designed by robert s. gessner (1903-1982), a swiss abstract artist who exhibited with the allianz (see stories 203 and 136.

the book typography is rather traditional.

there are many of bosshard's photographs, some showing historic moments: below general gamal abdel nasser who later became president of egypt. however the jacket photo is credited to another well-known swiss photographer: rené groebli (*1927).